Israeli response to October 7 attack ‘exceeded’ self-defence: Ex-UN official
Mogens Lykketoft, a Danish politician who led the Social Democrats from 2002 to 2005 and a former UN General Assembly president, says while the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7 2023 was the “trigger” for the war in Gaza, the Israeli response “has long since exceeded anything like legitimate self-defence”.
The genocide is a “human catastrophe of historic dimensions”, he said.
“Many people in rich Western countries simply do not understand the background and the character of the tragedy that’s ongoing,” he said.
He urged Europeans to break an “impenetrable media barrier” to “enlighten” others about the “facts on the ground”.
“Palestinians are human beings with the same hopes … that most of us in the Western world already enjoy.”
‘Increasingly impossible’ to stay alive in Gaza: Amnesty Denmark chief
Vibe Klarup, head of Amnesty Denmark, has underscored Amnesty’s findings that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. The global rights group in December released a report stating its conclusion.
“Israel is committing the act of genocide,” said Klarup. “When we say Israel is committing genocide, it is not an opinion, it’s a conclusion on the basis of a legal, thorough analysis”.
“It is increasingly impossible to stay alive in the Gaza Strip … Our role as people is to stop the genocide.”
Oxfam Denmark calls on country to take ‘strong action’ against Israel
Lars Koch, secretary-general of Oxfam Denmark, has urged Denmark to take strong action against Israel.
“If we do not act now, there will soon be nothing left of Palestine and its people,” he told Al Jazeera. “The best thing we can do in Denmark is to clamp down on what Israel is doing by ending the supply of arms to Israel.”
His comments were applauded by an audience of hundreds in central Copenhagen at a conference aimed at raising awareness about Palestine.
“Equally important, we must stop investments in Israeli settlements … Denmark needs to become a voice of international accountability,” he said. “We need to use the EU … to stop our complicity in order to look our kids in the eyes and tell them, ‘We did our best to end the genocide.'”
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