Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo received representatives of Belgium's Palestinian community on Friday in his office at 16 Rue de la Loi to discuss the recent upsurge in tensions between Israel and Hamas, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
"The aim is to listen to you," the government leader said at the start of the discussion, in which Interior minister Annelies Verlinden and state secretary for Equal Opportunities Marie-Coline Leroy also participated. "Violence in Palestine and Israel is something we condemn," De Croo said. "Civilians must be preserved to the maximum."
"Violence in Palestine and Israel is something we condemn. Civilians must be preserved to the maximum."
"I hope that humanitarian access can take place and that both sides will talk to each other and find a solution to live in peace," he added.
The federal government had also received several representatives of Belgium's Jewish community on 12 October to respond to any concerns they might have about their safety and possible reprisals.
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