Sweden Pushes EU to Sanction Israeli Ministers Over Gaza Civilian Casualties
Foreign Minister Malmer Stenergard Says Sweden Will Escalate Pressure Amid Israel's Expanding Military Campaign.
Watan-Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said Tuesday that Sweden will act within the European Union to push for sanctions on specific Israeli ministers due to Israel’s treatment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
In a statement, she said:“As long as we do not see a clear improvement in the situation of civilians in Gaza, we need to toughen our tone.”
She added:“Therefore, we will now push for the EU to impose sanctions on specific Israeli ministers.”
She clarified that the sanctions would target:“Ministers who promote illegal settlement policies and actively oppose a future two-state solution,” noting that these individuals will be discussed within the EU.
Sweden Urges EU Sanctions on Israeli Ministers Over Gaza Crisis
However, she emphasized that Sweden remains “a friend of Israel.”
Her comments came during a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday.
On Monday, humanitarian aid entered Gaza for the first time in over two months following widespread condemnation of Israel’s total blockade, which has caused severe shortages of food and medicine.
On Tuesday, a UN spokesperson announced that the organization had received permission from Israel to bring in “around 100 aid trucks” into the besieged Gaza Strip.
Stenergard said:“In all our communications with the Israeli government, we have consistently demanded increased access for humanitarian aid and strongly criticized the failure to provide it.”
She added that Sweden is concerned about:“How the Israeli government continues to escalate the situation, both in words and in actions.”
Israel Vows Full Control of Gaza as Death Toll Surpasses 53,000
On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel “will control the entire territory of the Strip.”
The war began on October 7, 2023, following a surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel, which, according to official Israeli data, killed 1,218 people.
Of the 251 hostages taken since October 7, 57 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli army says are dead.
Since the start of the war, the number of people killed in Gaza has reached 53,573, according to the latest figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. This includes at least 3,427 people killed since Israel resumed its strikes on March 18.
