Will recognise Palestine and impose firm sanctions on Israel, says Belgium

Belgium will recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot has announced, news agency AFP reported.

"Palestine will be recognised by Belgium at the UN session! And firm sanctions are being imposed against the Israeli government," Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot wrote on X on Tuesday. 

Prevot said the decision came "in view of the humanitarian tragedy" unfolding in Gaza, where Israeli offensives have displaced most of the population at least once, and the UN has declared a famine.

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron had said France would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN meeting, which is going to be held from 9 September in New York.

More than a dozen other Western countries have since called on others to do the same.