By Leila Nezirevic
LONDO (AA) – Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Wednesday condemned Israel’s attack on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, calling the situation “catastrophic and unacceptable” and calling on the UN Security Council to act swiftly.
“The development in Rafah is catastrophic and unacceptable. We have warned in the strongest possible terms against the consequences of an attack for the people of Rafah,” Eide said in a statement.
“We condemned yesterday’s attack against a tented camp where many civilians were killed. We expect the incident to be investigated as Prime Minister Netanyahu has promised. No place in Gaza is safe. For more than seven months, people have lived under horrific conditions,” he said, referring to Tuesday's attack on the Tal al-Sultan camp for displaced Palestinians in western Rafah, which killed at least 29 people.
Earlier on Sunday night, 45 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and 250 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a cam for displaced people in Rafah.
Eide called on the UN Security Council to take responsibility and act.
“The situation is unbearable, the war must end,” he said.
The minister urged Tel Aviv to comply with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders for an immediate halt to the military offensive or actions leading to the physical destruction of people in Gaza.
Eide's remarks came amid international condemnation of Israeli forces' brutal bombardment of various parts of Gaza, which continued on Wednesday, killing and injuring dozens more Palestinians.
Israeli tanks have been seen in central Rafah for the first time, signaling a new phase of Tel Aviv's brutal offensive in Gaza, in which over 36,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and more than 80,000 others injured, as well as mass destruction of the besieged enclave and shortages of necessities.
- Reactions from European nations
Earlier on Tuesday, Iceland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir called on Israel to comply with International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders demanding cease-fire amid “serious civilian casualties” in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Gylfadottir told Anadolu that she is “horrified by reports of serious civilian casualties in Rafah. These people had nowhere to go.”
“We call for compliance with ICJ orders, the release of all hostages, and for all parties to return to negotiations immediately. We need a ceasefire now.
“Those responsible for the cycle of revenge and violence also have the power to seek peace and stability,” she said.
Separately, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has expressed concerns over tanks entering Rafah and has urged Israel to respect international law.
“Very worrying that today Israel entered Rafah's city center with tanks. Many of us see great risks of further civilian deaths, as in Sunday's attack on a tent camp.
“Sweden and the EU expect Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice's decision and suspend the offensive in Rafah to protect civilians,” Kristersson said on X on Tuesday.
Finish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said she was “devastated by news from Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of civilians, including small children. “
“Finland has consistently urged Israel to refrain from attacking Rafah, with high numbers of displaced people. ICJ orders and int’l humanitarian law must be respected by all parties,” she said on X yesterday.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Three European countries, including Norway, Spain, and Ireland, formally recognized Palestine as a state on Tuesday, in what Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described as a "historic decision," with pressure mounting on several other countries to follow suit.
For more than 30 years, Norway has been one of the strong supporters of a Palestinian state, which Eide describes as "a milestone in Norwegian-Palestinian relations."