BRUSSELS: Belgium said Thursday that it would summon the Israeli ambassador to provide explanations regarding the death of an aid worker from its Enabel development agency in a Gaza airstrike, along with members of his family.
Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib condemned the airstrike as “contrary to international law” and stated her intention to address the matter directly with the Israeli ambassador. “Bombing civilian areas and populations is contrary to international law. I will summon the Israeli ambassador to condemn this unacceptable act and demand an explanation,” the Foreign Minister said on X.
The deceased aid worker, Abdallah Nabhan, 33, was employed by Enabel and was killed, along with several family members, in an Israeli airstrike in the eastern part of Rafah city.
According to Enabel, the airstrike targeted the family’s home where 25 people, including Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military operation in Gaza, were taking shelter. Nabhan and his family were reportedly on Israel’s list of persons eligible to leave Gaza, but they were killed before they could be granted permission to exit.
Jean Van Wetter, Enabel’s chief, denounced the deaths as a “flagrant violation” of international humanitarian law by Israel.
Israel launched airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza since October 7. The health ministry in Gaza, controlled by the Hamas group, has reported that over 34,000 people have died in the ongoing Israeli bombardment, the majority of whom are women and children.
Belgium, currently holding the EU presidency, has been among the European countries most vocal in condemning Israel’s military operations in Gaza, particularly citing concerns about the high number of civilian casualties among Palestinians.
