Italy’s defence minister says Israel’s government has ‘lost its humanity’
Guido Crosetto has said Israel’s actions in Gaza are “unacceptable” and show that its government has “lost its reason and humanity”.
“We are not facing a military operation with collateral damage, but the pure denial of the law and the founding values of our civilisation,” the Italian defence minister told La Stampa daily in an interview published today.
“We are committed to humanitarian aid, but we must now find a way to force Netanyahu to think clearly, beyond condemnation,” he said.
Asked about possible international sanctions against Israel, Crosetto said “the occupation of Gaza and some serious acts in the West Bank mark a qualitative leap, in the face of which decisions must be made that force Netanyahu to think.”
He added: “We must always distinguish governments from states and peoples, as well as from the religions they profess. This applies for Netanyahu, and it applies to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, whose methods, by now, have become dangerously similar.”
France’s Macron warns Israel’s Gaza City plan ‘heralds disaster of unprecedented gravity’
French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised Israel’s plans to seize Gaza City, calling them “a disaster of unprecedented gravity waiting to happen”.
Last week, Israel’s security cabinet approved plans that could lead to the forcible displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, drawing a chorus of condemnation from human rights experts and the UN.
Macron said the announcement of the expansion of military operations in Gaza City and the al-Mawasi camps farther south along the coast also heralds “a move towards a never-ending war”.
“The Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will continue to be the primary victims of this strategy,” he added in remarks sent by his office to reporters that included a proposal to create an international coalition under a UN mandate to stabilise the territory.
Norwegian wealth fund ends Israel asset management contracts
Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, has announced it is cutting ties with asset managers in charge of its Israeli investments after an urgent review last week over ethics concerns linked to the war on Gaza.
The fund, which had faced criticism for including an Israeli firm that provides parts to Israeli fighter jets being used in Gaza, said it has also divested parts of its portfolio over the situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Speaking about the planned review of the fund last week, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg said: “The war in Gaza is contrary to international law and is causing terrible suffering, so it is understandable that questions are being raised about the fund’s investments” in the Israeli manufacturer.
