Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders has condemned the assassination attempt on Tuesday in Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip, against the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Rami Hamdallah, according to a press release issued on Wednesday evening. Prime Minister Hamdallah was on his way to the official inauguration of the North Gaza Waste Water Treatment Plant, to which Belgium is one of the main contributors, when his convoy was hit by an explosion that slightly injured seven persons and dealt a fresh blow to the uphill effort to reconcile the rival Palestinian groups.
Didier Reynders "is convinced that this anonymous and cowardly attack goes radically against the wishes of the inhabitants of Gaza, who aspire only to stability and to the return of normal living conditions in the enclave”, the Foreign Ministry stated in the press release.
“This attack demonstrates a deliberate will from the most extreme parties to derail the reconciliation between Palestinians under the aegis of a single legitimate Palestinian authority. It is important to quickly identify the perpetrators of this attack and to bring them to justice.”
The Belgian Foreign Minister “encourages the Palestinian Authority and Prime Minister Hamdallah to persevere in their dialogue and negotiation efforts with all parties. These efforts must be continued, with a view to reaching a unified Palestinian leadership, able to administrate Gaza and the West Bank, in the interest of the Palestinian people and of a durable peace in the region”, the Foreign Ministry added.
The Brussels Times
