Brussels (Brussels brussels Morning) – Foreign Minister Lahbib stresses that calls for a Gaza ceasefire are insufficient amid ongoing violence. She advocates for comprehensive action, including sanctions on Israeli settlers and recognition of a Palestinian state.
Belgian Foreign Minister stressed that the Calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the delivery of aid to Gaza are not enough to address the ongoing violence. “The killing continues, and we must not forget what is happening in Gaza at the moment because there is a humanitarian tragedy that must be stopped,” Lahbib said. The US should not be the only actor in Gaza
What are Lahbib’s concerns about US involvement?
Lahbib expressed worry about the US becoming the sole player in Gaza. She also discoursed the issue of violent Israeli settlers, saying that sanctions alone are insufficient. She stressed the need to impose sanctions on those who arm and defend the settlers.
What prompted EU and US sanctions on settlers?
On Friday, the EU and US inflicted sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers and settler groups over violence against the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The EU placed two “radical” organisations, Lehava and the Hilltop Youth, on its support freeze and visa blacklist for their attacks on Palestinians.
Who was targeted by the recent sanctions?
The freeze included Hilltop Youth leaders Meir Ettinger and Elisha Yered, along with settlers Neria Ben Pazi and Yinon Levi. The US Treasury levied sanctions on two organizations on Friday for fundraising on behalf of two fierce Israeli extremists in the West Bank.
The two parties, Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich, launched crowdfunding campaigns to expand thousands of dollars for Yinon Levi and David Chai Chasdai respectively. The two men were sanctioned by the US in February under a new administrative order targeting perpetrators of violence in the West Bank.
Settler brutality in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has poured over the past year, before the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza.
How has settler violence escalated in West Bank?
As part of a systematic approach led and supported by right-wing ministers in the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, terrorist settlers from West Bank settlements have been throwing racist attacks and deadly attacks against Palestinian villages and individuals from the north to the south of the West Bank.
What solution does Lahbib propose for Palestinian statehood?
Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lahbib commented that recognizing a Palestinian state is a decisive action towards a two-state solution. She confirmed Belgium’s readiness to welcome any initiative concerning the recognition of a Palestinian state.
On Thursday, the US broke a long-shot Palestinian bid for full UN membership, vetoing a UN Security Council motion despite growing international dismay over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The action by Israel’s key ally was expected ahead of the vote, taking place more than six months into Israel’s war on the blockaded Palestinian territory. Twelve countries voted in acceptance of the draft resolution recommending full Palestinian membership.
What did she say regarding Iran Revolutionary Guard?
Moreover, Lahbib said that New European Union sanctions against Iran in response to the country’s recent attack on Israel should include the Revolutionary Guards. Speaking to journalists ahead of an EU ministers‘ conference in Luxembourg, Lahbib said that so far there was no agreement on what legal basis the Guards could be added to a bloc-wide list of entities seen as terrorist organisations.
“We will discuss it together”, she said, adding: I also think we have to expand sanctions against violent settlers (in the Palestinian West Bank). We have to be balanced and make sure we won’t be accused of having double standards.”
