King Philippe of Belgium made rare and strongly worded remarks on Monday, condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza as a « stain on humanity. »
Speaking from his palace in Brussels, he denounced the suffering of innocent civilians “dying of hunger and bombs while trapped,” and backed the UN’s call for an immediate end to the crisis.
It is the first time the monarch has publicly spoken so sharply about an international conflict, while Belgium’s federal government has remained more reserved in its criticism.