Foreign Minister condemns Israeli attacks on Gaza

Iceland‘s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Össur Skarphéðinsson, strongly condemns Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. The Minister regrets all loss of life on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian border due to air and missile attacks.

The Foreign Minister fears that the escalation now will lead to longlasting military conflict. He says the situation now is in many ways reminiscent of2008 when Israelis attacked Gaza and that there  is great danger of ground warfare following the attacks now.

The Minister stressed  that the situation now is a proof of what Iceland has repeatedly stated: That in order to achieve peace in the Middle East, Israel  must enter peace negotations with Palestinians, and halt settlements of Palestinian land.