‘Stop the violence’: Belgian premier calls for cease-fire in Gaza

LONDON (AA) – Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Tuesday called for a cease-fire in Gaza and urged nations to seize the current moment to work towards a two-state solution.

During his speech at the London School of Economics, De Croo recalled a recent visit to the region with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez, where they witnessed the aftermath of the conflict firsthand.

“I’m very clear on two things as a person, you can defend two positions, I can at the same time, say that the terrorist attacks of Hamas are atrocious, that hostages need to be released immediately, unconditionally, and at the same time, say that the military operations, more need to be done to have no more civilian casualties in a conflict like that. Very often, you’re being pushed in one camp or the other,” he explained.

Israel has mounted a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an attack by Hamas which Tel Aviv says killed 1,140 people. Israel has killed at least 25,490 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 63,354, according to Palestinian health authorities.

– ‘100 children being killed every day’ –

Acknowledging the challenges of taking a nuanced stance in such a polarized situation, De Croos emphasized the human toll of the Gaza conflict. “When you have that quantity of human lives being lost … 10,000 children dead in a period of 100 days, so that’s 100 children every day. That demands a cease-fire.”

De Croo expressed his belief that the current moment presents a unique opportunity to work towards a two-state solution. “If there is any moment in the last 20 years to work on a two-state solution, it’s now. Let’s use that moment to do it. Please, let’s stop the violence,” he pleaded.