Stockholm: Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard has declared the Israeli occupation's refusal to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and its targeting of aid distribution sites a "war crime," emphasizing that these actions result in the starvation of civilians.

According to Oman News Agency, during a press conference, Stenergard stated that utilizing the starvation of civilians as a tool of war constitutes a war crime. She emphasized that "life-saving humanitarian aid should not be politicized or used as a weapon." Stenergard highlighted that there are currently strong indications that Israel is not meeting its obligations under international humanitarian law, underscoring the necessity of promptly providing food, water, and medicine to the civilian population, many of whom are women and children living in dire conditions.

Additionally, Swedish Minister of International Development Benjamin Dousa announced at the press conference that Stockholm is now directing aid through other UN organizations. He noted that Sweden is "the fifth largest donor in the world... and the second largest donor in the European Union to the humanitarian response in Gaza."

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Wilker Turk, has also labeled the deadly attacks on civilians near aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip as a "war crime." Meanwhile, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have accused the Israeli occupation of committing "acts of genocide."