Swedish politicians demand accountability for Israel's attack on aid seekers in Gaza

By Alexandra Enberg

IZMIR, Türkiye (AA) – Sweden's opposition leaders, like many others around the world, have strongly condemned Israel's attack on Palestinians waiting in line for food on Thursday, calling for independent investigators from the International Criminal Court to look into the deaths of over 100 people in Gaza awaiting aid.

Morgan Johansson, leader of the opposition Swedish Social Democratic Party, stated in comments published on the same evening of the Israeli forces' gruesome attack in the local newspaper Aftonbladet that "This is a terrible event. Sweden should demand that Israel immediately let independent investigators from the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate what happened. Those who are responsible must be held accountable."

Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom has faced harsh criticism from both opposition political parties and the Swedish media for his silence on the issue.

Other members of the Swedish parliament, known as the Riksdag, have strongly condemned Israel's attacks on Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid.

The opposition Green Party's foreign policy spokesperson Jacob Risberg said he is "extremely dismayed" by the Israeli attack.

"The foreign minister should immediately call the Israeli ambassador for clarification on how this could happen. It is very clear that an immediate ceasefire is required," Risberg stated on X the same day.

"Israel has attacked a food queue. 30,000 dead civilians now. An incredible tragedy. Israel's occupation must end, the hostages must be released, there must be a total ceasefire and a two-state solution must be implemented," wrote Riksdag member Hanna Gunnarsson of the opposition Left Party on X.

Also, her party colleague Ilona Szatmári Waldau stated: “Stop the madness! Israel is not attacking Hamas, the country's military is attacking the entire Palestinian people.”

Flouting the International Court of Justice’s provisional ruling, Israel continued its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 30,320 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 71,533 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory'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 in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.