Several Belgian university rectors have criticised the lack of government consensus over the evacuation and arrival of Palestinian scholarship students from Gaza, according to the Belga news agency.
Rectors reportedly published an open letter in the daily De Standaard on Sunday, calling the political deadlock over the evacuation and arrival of thirteen Palestinian scholarship students from Gaza "unacceptable".
They noted that it is not a matter of "illegal migrants", but rather students who had been selected by independent committees for a competitive scholarship.
"It is a matter of political will, and that is clearly lacking in some parties. The moral compass of some government partners is lost," they said.
Rectors reaffirmed that the students will not go to an asylum centre but to their student accommodation upon their arrival and will attend classes and continue their scholarship programmes.
"They are committed students with an excellent CV. The programmes they are pursuing here also align with Gaza's reconstruction needs. After their studies, they wish to return there to help build the future," they underscored.
"The doors of our lecture halls remain open," the rectors added.
‘Dignity is not for sale’
The letter came after Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot submitted a proposal to the federal government to evacuate the 13 scholarship students and bring them to the country.
However, the government reportedly struggled to reach a consensus on the proposal, leaving the talks at a standstill.
Due to the lack of agreement, Prevot opted to withdraw his entire proposal, The Brussels Times reported.
"One issue is being held hostage by another, at the expense of people living in misery," the paper quoted him as saying.
"Dignity is not for sale."
Israeli violations of the agreement in place since October 11, 2025, have killed 1,372 Palestinians and wounded 4,659 others.
The overall death toll from Israel’s genocide, which began on October 8, 2023, has risen to 73,786, with 174,771 people injured.
In addition to the casualties, most of whom are children and women, Israel has destroyed around 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, while the UN has estimated the cost of reconstruction at about $70 billion.
