Belgium to Recognize Palestine at UN, Announces Sanctions on Israel
BRUSSELS – Belgium will officially recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session and impose firm sanctions on Israel, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot announced on Monday.
Prévot, writing on X, said the decision was made in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israeli military operations have displaced much of the population and the UN has declared famine conditions.
“In the face of the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law, Belgium had to take strong decisions to increase pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas,” Prévot stated, stressing that the move is not aimed at punishing Israeli citizens but at pushing their government to respect international and humanitarian law.
The announcement comes after French President Emmanuel Macron pledged in July that France would recognize a Palestinian state during the UN meeting, scheduled from September 9 to 23 in New York. Since then, more than a dozen Western nations have urged others to follow suit.
Belgian news agency Belga reported that the government’s sanctions will specifically target goods produced in Israeli-occupied territories.
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