Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Prime Minister;
Credit: ME
On Thursday 9 November 2023, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel travelled to Paris, France, to participate in an international humanitarian conference for the civilian population of Gaza.
The conference, organised at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, mobilised the main actors involved in the humanitarian response in Gaza and aimed to provide a response from the international community to the needs and protection of the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Bettel demanded the immediate release of all hostages and called for respect for international (humanitarian) law by all parties involved. He also advocated for the protection of Gaza's civilian population and for humanitarian truces ensuring the access of international organisations. He also stressed that the conference should not be taken as a signal "against Israel" and that it was essential to "avoid being forced to choose" sides. While warning against the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia (and hate speech in general), Prime Minister Bettel said he stood "for peace".
Amid the escalation of violence in the Middle East in recent weeks, Luxembourg has channelled support of €2.5 million through various humanitarian partners, notably the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which Luxembourg's Ministry of State described as the "backbone" of the current humanitarian response in Gaza. Faced with urgent and growing humanitarian needs, Luxembourg will allocate an additional contribution of €500,000 to UNRWA and the NGO Handicap International Luxembourg. This will bring Luxembourg's total contribution so far to €3 million.
