After a breakthrough in peace talks between Israel and Hamas, Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot joined other EU leaders to express hope that Israel's bombing of Gaza will now cease.
Speaking on VRT’s ‘De Ochtend’ radio programme on Thursday, Prévot said Belgium will prepare to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians and evacuate injured victims.
Earlier on Wednesday night, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had accepted the "first phase" of his peace plan.
He stated on social media that "all hostages will soon be released, and Israel will pull back its troops to an agreed boundary."
"We have probably never been this close to peace", Prévot said in response on Thursday.
Nonetheless, he remains cautiously optimistic, recalling that Israel violated a previous ceasefire earlier this year, continuing rocket strikes on Gaza. "A truce is not credible if bombing persists," the minister noted.
Key details of the agreement remain undefined, including the extent of Israel’s troop withdrawal. "It’s not clear yet, but there will be a withdrawal," Prévot said.
He added that Belgium is ready to evacuate injured Palestinians. "We have compiled a list of hundreds of people—women and children—that we need to evacuate," he stated.
Humanitarian aid delivery must also be resumed. Prévot suggested exploring land routes, such as using lorries, to facilitate aid and evacuations. The government has not discussed sending Belgian peacekeepers to the region, an idea proposed by other nations.
Vice-prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot and is pictured during a press moment after a Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine. in New York City, 22 September 2025. Credit: Belga
Regarding the Flotilla and Belgium nationals arrested and detained by Israel, Prévot called the convoy’s "added value weak."
He acknowledged the severity of the situation but argued that Belgian diplomats spent resources assisting Flotilla participants that could have been directed towards supporting Palestinians and organising evacuations. "We need to act effectively," the minister concluded.
World leaders
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has welcomed the agreement. In a statement on the platform X, she thanked mediators from the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for their efforts.
She urged all parties to fully adhere to the terms of the agreement, emphasising that all hostages must be released safely, a permanent ceasefire must be established, and the suffering must come to an end.
Von der Leyen also promised that the EU would quickly provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and, "when the time is right," contribute to the recovery and reconstruction of the area devastated by Israeli attacks.
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, also welcomed the "major breakthrough".
Kallas described the agreement as a "significant diplomatic achievement" and an "opportunity to end a devastating war and secure the release of all hostages" in a post on the platform X.
UN relief (OCHA) coordinator Tom Fletcher announced plans to act quickly in Gaza, aiming to deliver aid as soon as possible.
"Let us free the hostages and provide swift assistance," he urged on the platform X.
Fletcher emphasised that his teams are fully mobilised to move aid trucks on a large scale and save lives.
He also called for safe access to the affected areas to ensure the effective delivery of aid.
