Belgium Ties Palestinian State Recognition to Hamas Exit, Hostage Release, Imposes Sanctions on Israel

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has announced that Brussels will recognize a Palestinian state at this month’s United Nations General Assembly if the Hamas terrorist group is removed from power in Gaza and all remaining hostages are freed.

“Belgium will recognize Palestine during the joint initiative of France and Saudi Arabia,” the top Belgian diplomat said in a post on X on Tuesday, calling the move a “powerful political and diplomatic signal.”

La Palestine sera reconnue par la Belgique lors de la session de l’ONU ! Et des sanctions fermes sont prises à l’égard du gouvernement israélien. Tout antisémitisme ou glorification du terrorisme par les partisans du Hamas sera aussi plus fortement dénoncé.

Au vu du…

— Maxime PREVOT (@prevotmaxime) September 2, 2025

Prévot’s announcement came after Prime Minister Bart De Wever warned that recognizing a Palestinian state would be “pointless and even counterproductive” without strict conditions in place.

“Hamas must disappear completely, there must be a credible Palestinian Authority, an agreement must be reached on borders, and Israel must receive security guarantees. Without that, recognition makes no sense,” De Wever said last week.

Ahead of this month’s UN gathering, the Belgian declaration marks a conditional pledge to recognize a Palestinian state, provided there is mutual recognition of Israel in the Arab world, democratic elections in “Palestine,” and an agreement on final-status talks between the two parties.

Belgium is the latest country to join the initiative to recognize a Palestinian state, alongside France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and others — a move sharply criticized by US and Israeli officials as a “reward for terrorism.”

Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad has previously praised the increasing Western support as “the fruits of Oct. 7,” citing the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“The fruits of Oct. 7 are what caused the entire world to open its eyes to the Palestinian issue,” the terrorist leader said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

However, Prévot has pushed back against such accusations before, insisting that this initiative does not support or condone terrorism.

“Incidentally, recognition is not at all a reward for the horrific terror of Hamas. On the contrary, it’s about recognizing a state, not a government. And certainly not a terrorist group,” Prevot said in an interview with De Standaard on Sunday.

In his statement, Prévot also announced a package of 12 sanctions targeting Israel and Hamas, including a ban on imports from Jewish communities in the West Bank, entry bans on “two extremist Israeli ministers … and Hamas leaders,” and a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies.”

“Given the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine … and the violence committed by Israel in violation of international law … Belgium was compelled to take decisive measures to increase pressure on both the Israeli government and Hamas terrorists,” the Belgian diplomat wrote.

“It is not about punishing the Israeli people but about ensuring their government respects international and humanitarian law and taking steps to try to change the situation on the ground,” Prévot continued.

He also affirmed that Belgium will continue advocating within the European Union for the suspension of all cooperation with Jerusalem, including the Association Agreement — a pact governing the EU’s political and economic ties with the Jewish state.

“Belgium will recognize Palestine … to preserve the prospects for a two-state solution and to condemn Israel’s expansionist intentions through its settlement programs and military occupations,” Prévot said.