Sweden calls for inquiry into Israel

The Swedish foreign minister has called for an investigation into Israel's use of force against Palestinians during recent violence in the region.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has called for an investigation to determine if Israel was guilty of extrajudicial killings of Palestinians during recent violence there, local media is reporting.

Tuesday's comments were the latest in a series of statements by Wallstrom that have irked Israeli authorities.

Ties between Sweden and Israel nose-dived after Sweden recognised the Palestine state shortly after Wallstrom's centre-left Social Democrats won general elections in 2014.

She deepened the rift last year by describing Palestinians' plight as a factor leading to Islamist radicalisation.

"It is vital that there is a thorough, credible investigation into these deaths in order to clarify and bring about possible accountability," Wallstrom said during a parliamentary debate, according to news agency TT .

Rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force to quell the unrest.

The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have all expressed concern, saying that while they recognise Israel's right to self-defence, restraint is necessary to ensure the violence does not escalate further.

Almost daily stabbings, car-rammings and shootings by Palestinians have killed 21 Israelis and a US citizen since early October, raising fears of a wider escalation a decade after the last Palestinian uprising subsided.

Israeli forces or armed civilians have killed at least 133 Palestinians in the same period, 83 of whom authorities described as assailants. Most of the others have been killed in clashes with security forces.

The surge in violence has been fuelled by Palestinians' frustration over Israel's 48-year occupation of land they seek for an independent state, and the expansion of settlements in those territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world