Belgium's outspoken Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter said she will propose the country's government to join South Africa's lead against the threat of Israel's genocide in Gaza.
In a message posted on X, De Sutter said she wants her country to take action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), following the lead of South Africa.
"Belgium cannot stand by and watch the immense human suffering in Gaza. We must act against the threat of genocide," De Sutter said.
South Africa is accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza at the U.N.'s highest court while also seeking an emergency suspension of Tel Aviv's military campaign on Palestine.
Hearings for the case are set to take place in The Hague later this week.
South Africa also accused Israel of "failing to prevent genocide" and "prosecuting the direct and public incitement to genocide" in the application.
"Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza," the African country defended.
It also requested the ICJ to "indicate provisional measures to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the Genocide Convention and to ensure Israel's compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention not to engage in genocide, and to prevent and to punish genocide."
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/belgium-pm-slams-gaza-violence-jewish-settlers-in-west-bankBelgian officials have been criticizing Israel's violence against the civilians in Gaza.
Last month, Belgium pledged to deny entry to Israeli settlers from the occupied West Bank involved in violence against Palestinians, De Sutter said.
The European Union has condemned the increase in settler violence since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and this week the United States began imposing visa bans on people accused of being involved.
"Violent settlers will be denied entry into Belgium and I will be proposing that Belgium advocates for an EU-wide travel ban," De Sutter said on X.
On Nov. 6, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said: "If you bomb an entire refugee camp with the intention of eliminating a terrorist, I don't think it's proportionate."
Two days later, De Sutter called for sanctions against Israel.
Spain’s Podemos also urges govt to back South Africa’s genocide case
The leader of Spain's Podemos party announced on Tuesday that her far-left party has formally urged the Spanish government to back South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel.
Podemos leader Ione Belarra praised South Africa's "bravery" and argued that the case needs to be supported by more nations including Spain.
Türkiye, Bolivia, and Malaysia have already signaled their support for the case.
Belarra told a press conference that Podemos has sent official letters to Spain's Foreign Ministry and the central government, urging leaders to publicly back the case and that Podemos will raise the issue in parliament for debate.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been an outspoken critic of Israel's attacks on Gaza, accusing Benjamin Netanyahu's government of not respecting international law.
However, Podemos has complained that Spain's criticisms of Israel have been hollow and not followed up with action.
"It's so that we begin to take concrete steps to stop the genocide against the Palestinian people," said Belarra, Spain's former minister of social rights.
Belarra's party Podemos was part of Spain's ruling coalition but left the government around a month ago to have more independence. Regarding Palestine, the party has been calling on Madrid to cut diplomatic ties and arms trade with Israel and bring its leadership to international courts for war crimes.
Ireland has also been another European critic of Israel's attacks on Hamas, but its government has not gone as far as to support South Africa's case either.