Belgium will play its part in the humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced in Doha on Saturday evening.
"We are in the process of examining our capabilities and how we can participate. We are definitely going to participate," assured De Croo, at the end of the second leg, in Qatar, of a visit that will also take him to Jordan on Saturday, before Egypt on Sunday.
In Cairo, the head of the Belgian government will discuss the operation with the Cypriot president, Níkos Christodoulídis, on the sidelines of the launch of an EU-Egypt partnership.
On Monday, B-FAST, the Belgian rapid humanitarian response group, will take part in an operational meeting with the countries involved in this corridor, which has been open since the Cypriot port of Larnaca. The first ship has already passed through, and a second is ready to leave.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo pictured at a Jordanian Air Force Base from which the Belgian Air Force carries out its airdrops over Gaza , Saturday 16 March 2024 in Amman, Jordan. Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
Earlier in the day, at the Jordanian base of Zarqa, the Prime Minister had greeted the Belgian military detachment that had dropped 164 tonnes of emergency food aid on Gaza over the last few days. This detachment is completing its rotation.
A second part of the operation, the timing of which has not yet been determined, is due to take over with medical kits, according to the De Croo cabinet.
Belgium's participation in the Cyprus-Gaza maritime corridor complements the airdrops.
"We're doing it and we're proud of it, but it's not the solution. The solution is humanitarian access on land", insisted the Prime Minister, after calling on Israel to demonstrate "as a matter of urgency" that it was not using famine as a weapon of war.
