Israeli Oct. 7 'propaganda' film banned in parliament: Belgium Speaker
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The Belgian Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations says that Israeli-made film is propaganda intended to cover up war crimes.
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Palestinian women and children walking over the rubble of a mosque destroyed by the Israeli occupation entity in Gaza City on October 9, 2023. (AFP)
The President of the Belgian Parliament shut down a request by the Israeli Ambassador to the country to screen the occupation entity's self-produced film regarding the events on October 7, and called out the Israeli atrocities in Gaza, describing them as "war crimes."
Another attempt by Israeli ambassador Edith Rozentzweig-Abu to screen a shortened version of the film to the Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations also faced a stark refusal, on the grounds that it is Israeli "propaganda intended to cover up war crimes."
Read more: Israeli forces raid al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza
Wouter De Vriendt, from the Green Party, accused the Ambassador, "Today there are more than 4,000 children dying in bombings, how many more will die before you react? Some political leaders in Israel [even] talk about ethnic cleansing and genocide."
"The assassination of a Hamas leader along with the killing of 100 civilians is a scandal for a country like Israel. It's a war crime. You are bombing schools, mosques, and people working for the UN...I supported Israel immediately after the attack on October 7, but it's no longer possible. Stop this cruelty."
Meanwhile, the pro-Zionist organization, Belgian Friends of Israel, objected to De Vriendt's decision, calling her a "hypocrite" for hosting a Palestinian photo exhibition last year, and accusing her of "lacking a backbone."
Nowhere is safe for children in Gaza
Following a visit to Gaza, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russel said on Wednesday that what she "saw and heard" during her trip and meeting with the children and staff in the Strip was "was devastating."
"Today I visited the Gaza Strip to meet with children, their families, and UNICEF staff. What I saw and heard was devastating. They have endured repeated bombardment, loss and displacement. Inside the Strip, there is nowhere safe for Gaza’s one million children to turn," she said.
The situation is exacerbated by the rising number of Palestinians killed by the ongoing aggression waged by the Israeli occupation on Gaza last month, with the latest reports provided by the Ministry of Health revealing that over 11,200 civilians, including 4,600 children, have been martyred so far.
"Many children are missing and believed buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings and homes, the tragic result of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas," she said. The crisis is further deepened by the lack of medical supplies and power due to criminal blockade imposed by Israelis, leading to the death of newborns in need of specialized care.
