Finland says time for Israel’s ‘self-defense is over’

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Thursday lashed out at Israel for failing to protect civilians in Gaza, joining international calls for an immediate cease-fire.

“No, the time for (Israel’s) self-defense is over. I say very clearly: Enough is enough now, the civilian population in Gaza needs an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” Valtonen told the German media group RND.

Asked if Israel needs to do more to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza, the Finnish foreign minister said: “Yes, definitely. Many civilians die every day and Israel is not doing enough to prevent it.”

Valtonen also urged Israel “to open more border crossings to allow humanitarian aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip."

“The civilians (in Gaza) need humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible because many are in dire need and or are already dying. People are starving and have no clean drinking water - and this is mainly due to Israel,” she added.

Meanwhile, Valtonen reiterated her support for a two-state solution, saying the EU peace plan could be a good basis for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The (EU) peace plan is promising and it is good that we are working together with the Arab countries on a plan for lasting peace in the region. I am glad that we in the EU agree that the second state solution can be the only solution,” she said.

“Of course, the details still need to be negotiated, for example regarding the exact security guarantees for Israelis and Palestinians. But if the countries in the region agree on this plan, it can be the decisive step towards a peaceful future,” Valtonen went on to say.

Israel launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing more than 25,700 people. About 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack. Nearly 136 hostages are believed to be held by Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while more than half of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.