Belize Joins Latin American States in Suspending Ties with Israel: Minister Courtenay Explains Decision

As it relates to the government’s decision on Israel, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eamon Courtenay says the decision to suspend ties with Israel was addressed in the most diplomatic way. Belize joined Latin American states: Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Honduras in breaking the relations with Israel. A bold statement from the Government of Belize stated, “Since the 7th of October 2023, Israel has consistently violated international law, international humanitarian law and the human rights of Gazans.” Today, minister of Foreign Affairs Eamon Courtenay spoke about what went into the making of this serious stance.

Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “Well first of all I think it’s important to stress that the primary concern of the Government of Belize at the moment is for the people of Gaza, for the millions of people who have been subjected to unceasing and unrelenting bombing, for the people who have been denied food, who have been denied fuel, who have been denied medical supplies. We are concerned about the more than 11,000 people who have died and who have been killed the majority being women and children. It is a humanitarian catastrophe that we have not seen for quite a long time and certainly not since our government has been in office. And so moving from a humanitarian point of view we decided that this is an issue that has to be addressed in the most forthright and the most diplomatic way. Secondly our assessment of what has taken place since the 7th of October in Gaza shows us very clearly that there have been gross violations of international law, gross violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses all perpetrated by the Israeli Defence Forces on the instructions of the Government of Israel.”

Courtenay added that he hopes that Israel will listen and depart from their course.