The Gaza offices of Enabel, the Belgian development agency, have been destroyed by bombs. Foreign minister Hadja Lahbib (MR) and Development Cooperation minister Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) have summoned the Israeli ambassador to explain.
The bomb attack that destroyed the Enabel offices took place on Wednesday evening. No Enabel employees were present in the building at the time. The agency employed both Belgians and local people, and the government decided last month to evacuate the 74 local employees.
Other NGOs including Handicap International are based in the building. A second building next door was also destroyed. The reason for the bombing is not yet clear.
Development Cooperation minister Caroline Gennez, of Flemish socialists Vooruit, said on X, formerly Twitter, that she had summoned the Israeli ambassador. “The office building of @Enabel, the Belgian Agency for Development Cooperation, in #Gaza has been bombed and is completely destroyed,” she said. “Attacking civilian buildings is and remains totally unacceptable.
Foreign minister Hadja Lahbib, of Francophone liberal party MR, said they would “get to the bottom of the matter”.
Enabel property in Gaza was also damaged in an attack in October.