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Belgium will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot announced Tuesday.
“Palestine will be recognised by Belgium at the UN session! And firm sanctions are being imposed against the Israeli government,” Prevot wrote on X.
“Firm sanctions are being imposed on the Israeli government. Any antisemitism or glorification of terrorism by Hamas supporters will also be more strongly condemned,” he added.
Prevot said the decision came “in view of the humanitarian tragedy” unfolding in Gaza, where Israeli offensives have displaced most of the population at least once and the U.N. has declared a famine.
“In the face of the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law, given its international obligations, including the duty to prevent any risk of genocide, Belgium had to take strong decisions to increase pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas terrorists,” Prevot wrote.
He emphasized that the steps were aimed at upholding international law, not punishing Israeli citizens.
Belgium’s move comes as France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia announced similar plans to recognize Palestine during the General Assembly, joining 147 nations that already do. The session begins Sept. 9.
Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territories and rejects a withdrawal that would allow for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the pre-1967 borders.
On Friday, the U.S. State Department said it was canceling visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority ahead of the gathering.
The announcement followed growing global outrage over Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip, where more than 63,500 Palestinians have been killed in air and ground attacks since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and led to the capture of around 250 hostages.
Israel’s full blockade of Gaza, in place since early March, has created catastrophic conditions for the enclave’s 2.4 million residents, causing famine, widespread disease and the collapse of essential services.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war in the enclave.
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