File: The State of Palestine’s flag flies in the wind after a Rose Garden ceremony at the United Nations headquarters on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015. Palestine is set to officially become the 194 th state this month . Only a handful of countries led by Israel are against the move (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Following in France, the UK, Canada and Australia’s footsteps, Belgium will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly this month, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Tuesday, adding that it will impose “firm sanctions” on the Israeli government amid the “humanitarian tragedy” unfolding in Gaza.
Vice-prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot talks to the press as he arrives for a ‘Kern’ meeting with some members of the Federal Government, in Brussels on August 27, 2025. © Dirk Waem, AFP
In July, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN meeting, due to be held from September 9 to 23 in New York.
More than a dozen other Western countries have since called on others to do the same.
🇧🇪🇵🇸🚨La Palestine sera reconnue par la Belgique lors de la session de l’ONU ! Et des sanctions fermes sont prises à l’égard du gouvernement israélien. Tout antisémitisme ou glorification du terrorisme par les partisans du Hamas sera aussi plus fortement dénoncé.
— Maxime PREVOT (@prevotmaxime) September 2, 2025
🔸Au vu du…
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 UN 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.
“This is not about punishing the Israeli people, but rather about ensuring that its government respects international and humanitarian law and taking action to try to change the situation on the ground,” he added.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)