Stockholm: Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard has labeled the Israeli occupation's actions in Gaza, particularly the refusal to permit humanitarian aid and the targeting of aid distribution sites, as a "war crime." She emphasized that these practices result in the starvation of civilians.
According to Qatar News Agency, during a press conference, Stenergard highlighted that employing the starvation of civilians as a wartime strategy constitutes a war crime. She insisted that "life-saving humanitarian aid should not be politicized or used as a weapon." Stenergard pointed out that there are compelling indications that Israel is failing to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law. She underscored the necessity for the swift delivery of food, water, and medicine to the civilian population, which includes many women and children living under dire conditions.
Swedish Minister of International Development, Benjamin Dousa, also spoke at the press conference. He revealed that Sweden is now redirecting aid through other UN organizations, noting that Sweden ranks as the fifth largest donor worldwide and the second largest within the European Union for the humanitarian response in Gaza. Dousa stated that Sweden has provided over 1 billion Swedish kronor (USD 105 million) in humanitarian aid to Gaza since the conflict began on October 7, 2023. He also mentioned that the total funding allocated to Gaza for the current year stands at 800 million Swedish kronor.
In a related development, Sweden announced in December 2024 that it would cease its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) following a ban by the Israeli occupation.
Notably, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Wilker Turk, described the lethal attacks on civilians near aid distribution points in Gaza as a "war crime." Additionally, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have accused the Israeli occupation of committing "acts of genocide."