Sweden pushes EU to sanction Israeli ministers over Gaza, West Bank
4 Min Read
Sweden urges EU sanctions against Israeli ministers over Gaza policies and settlement expansion, citing the lack of humanitarian progress and escalating rhetoric.
-
Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 10, 2024. (AP)
Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenagard said Tuesday that the nation will work with the EU to impose penalties on some Israeli ministers over "Israel's" treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.
"Since we do not see a clear improvement for civilians in Gaza, we need to raise the tone further," Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told AFP, detailing that Sweden will "also push for EU sanctions against individual Israeli ministers."
Stenergard stated that the penalties should target "ministers who are pushing an illegal settlement policy and actively opposing a future two-state solution," with EU negotiations determining which officials would be targeted.
She emphasized that Sweden remains a "friend of Israel," but voiced growing concern over the occupation's actions in Gaza during a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels on Tuesday.
Her remarks came as the UN announced it had received approval to send approximately 100 additional aid trucks into the territory.
"In all of our contacts with the Israeli government, we have long demanded increased humanitarian access and have been very critical of the fact that they have not secured it," Stenergard said.
She also expressed alarm over what she described as the Israeli occupation's escalating rhetoric and actions.
Earlier this month, "Israel’s" security cabinet approved a plan to expand the military offensive in Gaza, with one official describing it as a move toward the "conquest" of the strip and the displacement of its population. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that "Israel will take control of all the territory of the strip.”
In a similar context, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot described the blockade on Gaza as "indiscriminate violence" that has turned the Palestinian enclave into "a dying ground, if not a cemetery."
His remarks come as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate under the weight of relentless Israeli bombing and severe restrictions on aid.
UK, France, Canada warn 'Israel' over Gaza offensive, urge aid entry
The leaders of Britain, France, and Canada on Monday strongly condemned Israeli "egregious actions" in Gaza, criticized its expanded military offensive, and denounced threats from Israeli officials suggesting the mass displacement of Palestinian civilians.
In a joint statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared, "We will not stand by" while the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues down this path.
They reiterated their commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state as part of efforts to achieve a "two-state solution", saying they are ready to collaborate with others to that end.
The statement by Britain, France, and Canada also denounced "abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate."
It underscored that "Israel's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law."
It also decried the "permanent forced displacement" as a breach of international law.
"We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank ... We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions," the three leaders threatened.
Their remarks coincided with a broader appeal from 22 nations demanding that "Israel" immediately allow a full resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the population, they warned, "faces starvation."
