Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of the resumption of fighting in Gaza is dangerous and contrary to all international conventions.
In statements broadcast on Danish television on Wednesday, Rasmussen expressed his dismay at what he called “Netanyahu’s provocative plans in Gaza,” stressing that they “violate all applicable international rules.”
Earlier, Netanyahu said there would be no end to the war on Gaza, but that a “ceasefire for a limited time to free prisoners from Gaza” could be reached, after which the fighting would resume until the end.
“We will move towards achieving total victory in the Gaza Strip, and we will enter with full force in the coming days to complete the defeat of Hamas,” Netanyahu added in a statement carried by Israeli media on Tuesday.
In this context, Rasmussen expressed his dismay at what he considered Israel’s evasion of its responsibilities, saying, “It must shoulder its obligations in Gaza, which are unfulfilled, and I am not exaggerating when I express my dismay.”
He pointed out that “the idea of launching an attack and forcibly displacing Palestinians is contrary to everything that is [internationally] right, and we strongly reject it,” adding that “his (Netanyahu’s) statement is a message to the entire international community, and provocatively coincides with the start of US President (Donald) Trump’s Middle East tour.”
Rasmussen’s comments come after he expressed optimism that the war in Gaza would end following the release of Israeli-US prisoner Edan Alexander on Monday.
He also stressed that Israel must ensure emergency aid entry into Gaza, saying, “No emergency aid has reached Gaza for more than 60 days, which runs contrary to Israel’s commitments.”
Denmark pursues a cautious policy regarding condemnation of Israel in its war on the Gaza Strip, although it criticizes settler violence in the West Bank and continues to speak of the need for an independent Palestinian state.
Human rights and popular organizations also continue to criticize the government for continuing to grant export licenses for sensitive equipment used in F-35 aircraft and for the ongoing arms transport to Israel by the shipping giant Maersk, despite warnings that Copenhagen risks prosecution for its possible involvement in war crimes in Gaza.
