Silence on Hamas: The flawed morality of King Philippe’s speech

In an unusually political speech on the eve of Belgium’s National Day, King Philippe made strong comments on the war in Gaza, calling the situation “a disgrace to humanity” and denouncing what he described as “serious humanitarian abuses.” 

Speaking from his palace in Brussels, the monarch declared, “Innocent people are dying of hunger and being killed by bombs while trapped in their enclaves.”

While compassion for civilian suffering is understandable and necessary, King Philippe’s remarks failed to acknowledge a fundamental reality: this conflict did not begin in a vacuum. 

His statement made no mention of the Hamas-led attacks on October 7th, the ongoing hostage crisis, or the role of Islamist terrorist organizations in perpetuating the violence.

Civilians are indeed suffering in Gaza, but the suffering is both a tragedy and a tactic. Hamas and other militant groups use civilian infrastructure for military purposes and continue to hold Israeli civilians hostage—some for nearly two years. 

These facts are essential to understanding the dynamics on the ground.

Ending the war and alleviating the humanitarian crisis will require more than public statements. The disarmament of Hamas is a critical step toward peace, the return of hostages, and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid. 

By ignoring this context, King Philippe risks misrepresenting a complex conflict and, intentionally or not, lending support to extremist movements that thrive on violence and chaos.

The Belgian monarch’s words may have been aimed at appealing to universal values, but his omission of key facts paints an incomplete and misleading picture. In such a volatile and high-stakes crisis, neutrality must not become blindness.