Belize has halted diplomatic relations with Israel and has renewed its calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. The news comes as the two countries enter the third week of their conflict that has seen civilians on both sides killed and injured.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Central American nation said that it “strongly condemns” the violence inflicted upon the innocent lives and calls for “an immediate cessation of all hostilities”.
Belize also called for the “respectful regard for international humanitarian and human rights law” and for the “attainment of a long-term, comprehensive peace settlement” for the region.
The dispute between Israel and Palestine, which has been ongoing since 1948 and was ignited by the current escalation in violence in Jerusalem, has seen up to 200 people dead in the Gaza Strip. According to Human Rights Watch, the bombardment from Israel has included attacks on residential dwellings.
The United Nations Security Council has announced a call for a ceasefire but with limited effect, as both sides remain adamant that their demands have to be met before a truce can take hold.
For Belize, the decision to sever diplomatic ties with Israel, though symbolic, is still a significant move as its population, estimated at 308,000, is overwhelmingly Christian. Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno has also supported Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s remarks calling for an end to illegal Israeli colonization.
The move reflects a trend among many Latin American countries that have chosen to step away from the Israeli side in the region’s long and bloody conflict; a stance that has also been adopted by the Caribbean Community (C.A.R.I.C.O.M.) bloc.
Though Belize may not have the weight of its much more populous neighbors, they have nonetheless sent a clear message in which they stand in regards to the conflict. The hope is that other countries will follow suit, and that an eventual diplomatic solution that offers a lasting peace in the Middle East can be reached.