Vooruit and Les Engagés also believe the federal government should do more for Gaza."MR must stop the resistance against humanity," says Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau. Earlier today, CD&V chairman Sammy Mahdi also launched a strong attack on Instagram. Mahdi calls it"hypocritical" that not enough is being done to end the violence in Gaza. According to him, some parties are blocking measures that would help.

Mahdi writes on social media that he has been fed up with the"hypocritical attitude" of some government parties for months. While children in Gaza are dying of hunger, aid supplies are under fire, and concentration camps for the remaining Palestinians are openly discussed, it remains quiet on Wetstraat, he observes.

He calls it"humanly untenable" to remain silent and argues that the Christian Democratic values he champions conflict with current Belgian policy. Every day, he writes, he has to watch"with a lump in his throat" as ethics give way to political calculation.

He complains that every proposal from his party, ranging from an import ban to suspending the association agreement with Israel, is systematically blocked."We remain close friends with a regime that is repeating what happened to the Jewish people 80 years ago," Mahdi writes.

Call for sanctions

In the second part of his message, Mahdi emphasizes that every international resolution critical of Israel is systematically watered down. Terms like"genocide" or "military attack" are replaced by legal euphemisms, he argues, invariably citing Israel's right to self-defense.

Still, Mahdi believes Belgium has a role to play:"Our small country may not stop Israel, but it can be a catalyst." He calls for a final vote on the bill proposed by MP Els Van Hoof, which would impose an import ban on products from Israeli settlements in occupied territory.

I don't want to have to explain to my children that I watched children die of hunger and people were shot dead at aid stations

Sammy Mahdi lashes out on Instagram

In one of the most poignant passages, Mahdi states that if he doesn't act now, he won't be able to look himself in the mirror later. He doesn't want to have to explain to his children that he"watched children die of hunger and people get shot at aid stations."

Finally, he acknowledges that politics is very much like a strategy game,"with a touch of Machiavelli." But, says Mahdi, he too is encountering moral boundaries."Something has to be done," is his clear final message to his colleagues in the government.

Mahdi's posts, set against a strikingly confrontational front page of the British newspaper Daily Express, threaten to rekindle tensions within the federal government. CD&V has been increasingly vocal in recent months about the Israeli attacks in Gaza. The governing party Vooruit has also repeatedly spoken out strongly against the lack of action. The MR and N-VA, in particular, are reportedly putting the brakes on.

Rousseau:"MR must stop resistance to humanity"

The governing party Vooruit also believes that the federal government should do more in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."It has become untenable," Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau told the Belga news agency.

While Mahdi criticizes the"hypocritical attitude" of some government parties without naming names, Rousseau points the finger at Georges-Louis Bouchez's Francophone liberals."MR must stop its resistance to humanity. This transcends all party political boundaries," Rousseau said.

The attitude of some cannot be called anything other than hypocritical and cowardly

Vooruit parliamentary group leader Oskar Seuntjens

Vooruit parliamentary group leader Oskar Seuntjens also shares Mahdi's accusation about the"hypocritical attitude" of some government parties."That feeling resonates with many people, I think. The attitude of some can only be called hypocritical and cowardly. If it were up to us, more needs to be done quickly at both the Belgian and European levels," says Seuntjens.

"If you look at how quickly we intervened with sanctions against Russia, it's incomprehensible that sanctions against Israel are much more difficult. More than 60,000 people have already died. People are fed up, and you have to wonder where some people's moral compass has gone," the MP said.

Veroughstraete:"Those who prevent action must face consequences"

Les Engagés also wants the federal government to do more."The lack of action against the suffering in Gaza is no longer an error of judgment, but a moral error," said chairman Yvan Veroughstraete on social media."It is an admission of inhumanity."

"Saying we want peace isn't enough," he continues."We must dare to take concrete measures: suspend the Association Agreement with Israel, impose clear sanctions, ban the import of settlement products. Too many proposals are systematically stifled."

Those who prevent action must face the consequences and take political responsibility

Yvan Veroughstraete, President of Les Engagés

“Those who prevent action must face the consequences and take political responsibility for it,” he added, without naming any party. “One day we will have to explain to our children what we did or did not do while other children were starving to death before our eyes.”

No response from Prime Minister and MR

Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) is setting aside the statements for the time being."I lead a government, I'm not going to respond to what people post online as party chairman," he said this morning."Some are very good at that, but that doesn't make my day. My focus is on reaching agreements at the core. I have enough work as it is." De Wever emphasized that he won't be swept away by "noise in the outside world."