For 15 months a piece of land little bigger than the Brussels region has been the focus of eyes around the world, as Gaza has become the most shocking example of concentrated human suffering that much of the world has known. Whilst modern history is filled with many appalling episodes of death and displaced populations, none has been so fixed so strongly at the centre of international attention.
And none has driven such a wedge between foreign populations, as citizens watch the horror relayed to media stations around the world and dismay rises to moral outrage. The casualties are difficult to comprehend: 1,200 Israelis murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and 46,000 Palestinians in the Israeli military response. Put on a page, the numbers themselves become dehumanising.
A ceasefire is so long overdue that its announcement gives little cause for celebration. The desolation is too great and human sympathy too exhausted to envisage a future. And that's assuming the agreement would even be honoured. Netanyahu already accuses Hamas of "backtracking" whilst a reported 73 more Palestinians have been killed in the hours since news of the ceasefire broke.
The repercussions in Europe have been enormous: swathes of civil society have been infuriated by their elected representatives and some nations have forcibly repressed protest against the Israeli assault, and the hesitation or outright refusal of governments to criticise the Israeli State.
Belgium was in a small minority of Member States that spoke out against the bombardment and immense civilian misery that resulted. At the same time, Palestinians became the most represented nationality among asylum seekers in Belgium – 96% of their applications were approved and Belgium received half of all Palestinian asylum applications in the EU.
The devastation of the conflict has all but drained our capacity to hope. At time of writing, the ceasefire is supposed to come into effect on Sunday.
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1. Gaza ceasefire: Israel says deal not reached as Hamas is ‘backtracking’
After more than 15 months of war, reports of an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza surfaced. However, Israel has not yet approved the agreement. Read more.
2. Some 100 Belgian students to visit Auschwitz on Thursday
"The aim is twofold: on the one hand, to show respect for the victims and on the other, to warn against extremism." Read more.
3. War and disinformation cited among the world’s biggest risks
The world's business people sre most concerned about the global prospect of war, according to survey by the World Economic Forum. Read more.
4. Classic Europop or French dance hit? Belgium starts search for Eurovision candidate
The Belgian entry will be picked by the Flemish half of the country this year, but the song will be in French or English; no Dutch-speaking songs made the selection. Read more.
5. Large rise in asylum applications in 2024 – Palestinians most represented
Palestinians and Syrians together accounted for almost a third of all asylum applications in Belgium last year. Read more.
6. Electricity bills to fall by 15% on 1 February for most French households
The decrease will affect around 20.4 million households subscribed to EDF's "blue tariff" and an additional four million with offers indexed to this tariff. Read more.
7. New EU aid package worth €120 million for Gaza
The aid will include food, health assistance, hygiene products and shelter. Read more.
