Belgium and Australia condemn recent Israeli government decisions

Belgium and Australia have expressed strong diplomatic opposition to recent Israeli government decisions. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot condemned plans to build 1,200 new housing units in the E1 area of the West Bank. Prévot stated the project is “unacceptable” and warned that it threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state by potentially bisecting the West Bank.

Separately, diplomatic relations between Australia and Israel have deteriorated following Israel's decision to halt criminal investigations into the deaths of humanitarian aid workers in Gaza. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong described bilateral relations as “difficult” after the Israeli military concluded no criminal prosecution would occur regarding the April 2024 strike that killed Australian citizen Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen staff. Australia has expressed a lack of confidence in the integrity of Israel's internal investigations.