Sweden urges EU to freeze trade agreement with Israel over Gaza crisis

The Swedish government is calling on the European Union (EU) to suspend the trade agreement between the bloc and Israel to put pressure on the government of the Jewish state over the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by Euractiv on July 31.

"The Swedish government is calling on the EU to freeze the trade agreement with Israel in order to put pressure on the country and force it to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza," the publication says.

It clarifies that the trade agreement between the two countries allows Israel to enter the EU market in exchange for commitments to respect human rights and ensure humanitarian access. According to the newspaper, Stockholm is confident of Israel's non-compliance with these rules.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Steenergaard noted that Israel uses starvation among the civilian population of the Gaza Strip as one of the methods of warfare, and this is a war crime. She also stressed that for this reason, Sweden is proposing to suspend the trade agreement, adding that this issue will be "very clearly" outlined to the commission.

Thus, Stockholm joined the calls from Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Luxembourg to cancel the trade agreement.

Starvation zones: The IDF reported chaos in the Gaza Strip

Hamas is not in control of the situation: looting and armed clashes between militants have become more frequent, sources confirm

On July 27, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) introduced a daily humanitarian pause in the fighting in Gaza. It was clarified that such measures are in effect in areas where the IDF conducts operations. They also included Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza.

On the same day, journalist Muhammad Mattar told Izvestia about queues outside a charity kitchen in the Gaza Strip. According to him, the food crisis in the region has worsened due to the closure of checkpoints, the shelling of the charity kitchen and its employees by the occupation forces.

In turn, The Jerusalem Post reported on July 25 that there is a problem of food insecurity in the Gaza Strip. Despite this, Israel, according to JP, is trying to convince the UN to send 900 trucks with humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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