Sweden mulls sanctions on far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers over Gaza crisis

Sweden is considering putting sanctions on far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers in response to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the country’s minister for international development cooperation and foreign trade said Thursday.

Speaking to Anadolu, Benjamin Dousa criticized Israel's ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza and said the EU should take stronger action in response to the crisis.

"The Swedish government is considering increasing pressure on the Israeli government. For example, steps such as imposing sanctions on far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers and reviewing existing partnership agreements with Israel could be taken," he said.

Dousa described the humanitarian conditions in Gaza as "the worst" since the conflict began and accused Israel of contributing to widespread famine through its continued military operations and siege.

While acknowledging EU efforts to provide assistance, Dousa said that only a handful of member states currently support tougher measures against Israel.

"We could do much more, but there are few of us within the EU. There are about five or six countries in the EU that support the pressure the Swedish government wants to apply on Israel. However, we can convince more countries to support Sweden to raise awareness," he said.

In recent months, Sweden has doubled its humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"The Swedish government has increased its humanitarian aid to Gaza from $40 million in the previous period to $80 million. Currently, no other EU country is allocating more aid to Gaza than Sweden," he added.

Turning to economic matters, Dousa also addressed trade relations between Sweden and Türkiye, highlighting longstanding economic ties between the two nations.

"There is a trade partnership agreement between the EU and Türkiye that dates back ten years. Many Turkish companies trade with EU countries, especially Sweden. Many Swedish companies also export to Türkiye. Some of Sweden’s largest companies have been operating in the country for many years," he said.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.

On Monday, Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s health care system.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​​

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.