Statements that have come from Netanyahu, and other extreme statements, where one talks about deporting over two million people, that is something the Swedish government condemns. It is unacceptable, says Benjamin Dousa, who is currently in Egypt.
He has, among other things, met with humanitarian organizations to talk about what he calls an acute and unacceptable situation in Gaza.
Ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government have said that Israel will conquer and cleanse the entire Gaza Strip, that the population of Gaza will be "completely destroyed", and that the population will eventually be forced to other countries.
Gaza is the Gazans' and Palestinians' home, not Israel's, says Dousa.
These statements are something that the international community must react strongly to. I think it is unfortunate that we have seen this radicalization that is currently happening within Israeli politics.
"A step in the right direction"
The Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade mentions the enormous stockpiles of supplies that have been set up at the Rafah border crossing on the Egyptian side and that trucks are ready to roll into Gaza. Israel has allowed some humanitarian aid in recent days.
It is a step in the right direction. It's about maybe 70 trucks per day. During the previous ceasefire, 600-800 trucks per day were allowed in. At least a tenfold increase in the number of trucks that are allowed in is needed, says Dousa.
Aid financed by Sweden - food packages, medicine, and tents - is ready in the nearby area, he continues.
Support to Unrwa
Therefore, the most important thing the government and Europe can do now is to put pressure on Israel to open the border for food deliveries.
Sweden has doubled its aid, and I encourage other European aid ministers to significantly increase aid to Gaza.
The opposition has pressed the government to resume support to the aid organization Unrwa. It is not something Dousa rules out, but he points rather to support to organizations such as Unicef, the Red Cross, and the World Food Programme.
Israel has made decisions that may eventually make Unrwa's work impossible, which we criticize from the government side.
