Belgium wants embargo on European arms to Israel

Belgian Development minister Caroline Gennez wants the EU to impose a complete embargo on arms exports to Israel. Gennez said this on Tuesday as the chair of the European Council of Ministers, where she drew attention to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

"This Council comes at a critical time. Thousands of people are on the brink of starvation in northern Gaza. In the south, the assault on Rafah appears to have begun, threatening a bloodbath. Meanwhile, Europe is watching," says Gennez. "The fact that we cannot speak with one voice prevents us from playing an effective role in resolving this conflict."

"The fact that we cannot speak with one voice prevents us from playing an effective role in resolving this conflict"

The least Europe can do, says Gennez, is to ensure that financial support for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, is fully restored. Some €32 million in European aid is still withheld because the agency is allegedly linked to Hamas. Gennez says there is no evidence of this. She also denounced the delay in the disbursement of European development aid to the Palestinian territories.

European arms embargo

Gennez further called for a European arms embargo on Tuesday. "Europe is one of the biggest humanitarian donors in Palestine and Gaza, but the best way to immediately improve the humanitarian situation is for the violence to stop," the minister said. "It makes no sense that we spend millions on humanitarian aid while some member states continue to supply arms to Israel. This must stop."

"It makes no sense that we spend millions on humanitarian aid while some member states continue to supply arms to Israel"

According to Gennez, other members of the international community should also stop supplying arms to Israel. The Rafah offensive could prove a breaking point. According to Politico, the US - Israel's strongest ally - is delaying the delivery of two types of precision bombs "for political reasons", a first since the conflict began in October.

Meanwhile, an Israeli delegation is in Cairo, Egypt, to negotiate a ceasefire, according to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas had accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar on Monday, which Israel later rejected. On Tuesday, a Hamas leader described the negotiations as the "last chance" for the release of the Israeli hostages.

^{Belgian Development minister Caroline Gennez. PHOTO: © Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP}