Finland calls on EU to impose more sanctions on Israel

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) — Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen urged the EU to consider introducing more sanctions against Israel amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, local media reported Tuesday.

Valtonen confirmed that Brussels is currently discussing stepping up its sanctions on Tel Aviv, adding that such a decision would require the approval of all EU member states.

"Opinions are divided here, but the message is already quite strong that we must take clear action against Israel. Especially if the escalation continues from here and does not end," she was quoted as saying by national broadcaster Yle.

The EU imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers earlier this year, but Valtonen pointed out these could be extended to also target the country's political decision-makers.

In August, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he supported new EU sanctions against Tel Aviv, which would include measures on some Israeli ministers

Valtonen confirmed Finland's call for a bilateral EU-Israel Association Council as a means of preventing further escalation.

On Sunday, UNIFIL said two Israeli tanks “forcibly entered” a Blue Helmet position in the town of Ramyeh in southern Lebanon in a series of violations and attacks by Israeli military that injured several peacekeepers.

Valtonen said the Nordic country would assess the continued presence of Finnish peacekeepers in Lebanon in cooperation with the UN.

"Finland is not the only country with peacekeepers in the area, and it is important that this work is coordinated," said Valtonen, adding that Helsinki is prepared to act should a decision be made to demobilize the peacekeeping troops.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen condemned the reports of firing on UN bases, with Orpo calling the acts "reprehensible."

Israel has mounted massive airstrikes across Lebanon against what it claims Hezbollah targets killing more than 2,000 people, injuring thousands, and displacing more than 1.2 million people.

The aerial campaign was an escalation in yearlong cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Tel Aviv’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed over 42,000 people, mostly women and children.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East region was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching on Oct. 1 a ground invasion into southern Lebanon.