Swedish Minister Criticizes Israel Over Gaza Starvation Crisis

Aid Minister Benjamin Dousa has criticized Israel for the starvation faced by Gazans, stating that Sweden is constrained in its ability to pressure Israel.

• "A single country can block efforts—many EU countries are obstructing this," he says.

Meanwhile, Sweden remains firm in not providing aid through Unrwa.

Emergency aid to Gaza has nearly ceased, with the hunger situation reaching a new level in recent weeks. Several children have starved to death, and over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed during food distribution, according to the UN.

• "When speaking with UN staff, they describe an apocalyptic atmosphere, where children collect debris to find somewhere to sleep or make a fire. It's hard to put into words how terribly dire the situation in Gaza is," says Aid and Foreign Trade Minister Benjamin Dousa (M).

Massive stocks of Swedish-funded aid are ready to be transported from Egypt and Jordan. However, Israel is not allowing the trucks in and is not guaranteeing the safety of aid workers.

• "I find it hard to see that Israel is currently adhering to international humanitarian law," Dousa continues:

• "Individual Israeli ministers are also openly discussing forcibly relocating hundreds of thousands of people. Here, international law and Sweden's position are very clear that Gaza belongs to the Gazans."

"We Will Never Risk Our Own Healthcare"

To help the most vulnerable, Karolinska University Hospital and three unions at Södersjukhuset in Stockholm have opened up to receive children from Gaza, reports DN.

But the government's response is a clear no.

• "Union representatives across the country are warning of staffing shortages, especially in emergency, intensive, and medical care, as well as elder care. We will never risk our own healthcare. We will always prioritize Swedish patients."

Dousa also argues that evacuating patients to Northern Europe is not an effective measure.

• "Looking at, for example, Norway, which decided last summer to receive patients, it involved a very small number. It also took about five months before they arrived."

To help more, it needs to happen on-site, according to the aid minister.

Difficult to Enforce Sanctions Within the EU

At the same time, Sweden is trying to pressure the Israeli government and push for sanctions against extreme ministers and violent settlers. But this can only be done at the EU level and requires full consensus.

• "A single country can block sanctions, and many EU countries are obstructing this."

Another tool is to pressure Israel through trade with the EU.

• "This requires a qualified majority, but even there, I don't see the conditions for it to happen. It's extremely frustrating, and it feels like being in this situation with tied hands."

Will Not Resume Support for Unrwa

Several aid organizations have appealed to the Swedish government to resume support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, including Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders.

They argue that no other organization has the same capacity, competence, and infrastructure to deliver emergency aid.

The government has instead chosen to send aid to other UN organizations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and Unicef.

• "They are the ones who have managed to get trucks in recently."

Unrwa has been accused of links to Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, leading several countries to pause their financial support in 2024. It has since been resumed, and today, besides Sweden, only five EU countries do not provide aid to the organization.

A UN investigation revealed information that nine Unrwa employees may have been involved in the attack. They were fired when the investigation was presented.

What would make you change your stance on Unrwa?

• "Should they manage to get trucks in and act effectively, we will make an ongoing assessment of whether support should be resumed."