Switzerland condemns statements by an Israeli minister
Published: Thursday, Aug 8th 2024, 17:20
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Switzerland sharply criticized the statements made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday. The finance minister had said that it could be "justified and moral" to "starve" the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. The EU, France and the UK had previously criticized the remarks.
"The recent statements by Minister Smotrich are unacceptable. We expect the Israeli government to respect IHL (international humanitarian law)," wrote the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on the social network X.
The Israeli minister had said on Monday at a symposium on the future of the Gaza Strip that "no one in the world will allow us to starve two million people, although it may be justified and moral, in order to free the hostages" who have been held there since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
"We are bringing in humanitarian aid because we have no other choice, we are in a space that requires international legitimacy to wage this war," he had added.
The EU, France and the UK had already sharply criticized the statements and called on the Israeli government to distance itself from them and condemn them.
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