Public faces sign up to Oxfam Belgium's Palestine support campaign
More than 100 public figures are backing the Oxfam Belgium campaign Speak Up For Palestine, launched on Tuesday. The 138 artists, politicians and influencers are calling for “an end to impunity and silence in the face of the ongoing violence, colonisation and repression in Palestine”.
The NGO aims to bring together Belgians who want to oppose oppression and violence in occupied Palestinian territory. Among the faces of the campaign are MP Petra De Sutter, activist Anuna De Wever, actor Veerle Baetens, author Dalilla Hermans and musicians Laura Tesoro, Pommelien Thijs and Koen Wauters.
Oxfam also denounces the “silence” of the authorities. “The new Belgian government remains passive in the face of the situation,” it says.
"This shows that Belgians refuse to let the Palestinian question disappear from the public debate"
“This inaction is indefensible. Belgium must take concrete measures, bring those responsible to justice and fulfil its obligation to protect civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.”
Their open letter calls on the government to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, ban the import of products from illegal settlements and ban the transit of military materials to Israel.
“We have received huge support throughout the organisation of this campaign,” said Eva Smets, director of Oxfam Belgium. “This shows that Belgians refuse to let the Palestinian question disappear from the public debate. For our partners and colleagues in Palestine, this mobilisation represents invaluable support.”
Meanwhile, the Hamas-run ministry of Health in Gaza announced an updated death toll of at least 413 in the Israeli strikes carried out overnight on the territory, with many people still trapped under the rubble.
'Unimaginable suffering'
Hadja Lahbib, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, called for an end to the violence. “The renewed escalation in Gaza is devastating,” she wrote on X. “Civilians have endured unimaginable suffering. This must stop. It is imperative to return to a ceasefire immediately to prevent further loss of life and destruction.”
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva warned that “very many health facilities” in the Gaza Strip “are literally overwhelmed” after the latest bombings.
A spokesperson for the World Health Organization emphasised the lack of medicines in the territory: “Because of this shortage of medicines, there is a risk that health workers will be unable to provide treatment for various medical conditions, not just traumatic injuries,” they said.
The faces of the Oxfam Palestine solidarity campaign © PHOTO OXFAM BELGIUM
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