Palestinians queue for a hot meal at a charity kitchen run by the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on April 26, 2025. Photo: Eyad Baba / AFP / Lehtikuva
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Finland supports trade-related pressure on Israel if humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza remain blocked, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said on Thursday following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Warsaw.
Speaking after the informal session, Valtonen said Finland was in favour of reviewing the EU-Israel Association Agreement if aid continues to be withheld. The trade deal offers Israel tariff exemptions and access to EU programmes but also includes commitments to human rights.
“It can’t get much worse, because Israel hasn’t allowed food shipments into Gaza for months,” Valtonen said. “Under no circumstances should people’s suffering be politicised, as Israel is currently doing.”
She added that Finland supports the European Union’s demand that Israel immediately lift its blockade on humanitarian supplies. The EU earlier this week issued a statement noting that no food aid had reached Gaza for more than two months and repeated its call for a ceasefire.
The Netherlands has led the push to reassess the trade agreement, citing violations of humanitarian law.
Valtonen said Finland agrees that aid should never be used as a weapon in war. “Humanitarian access is non-negotiable. This is about legal obligations as much as it is about moral responsibility,” she said.
The Finnish foreign minister also acknowledged that Hamas has not released all hostages taken during the October 2023 attacks on Israel. She said efforts should focus on supporting the emergence of a Palestinian Authority capable of peaceful governance and respecting Israel’s security.
“There is no direct negotiation with Hamas,” she said. “The international community must work toward a future where terrorists are no longer in power.”
Earlier this week, researchers cited by Helsingin Sanomat urged the Finnish government to apply pressure through the trade agreement, highlighting the EU’s position as Israel’s largest economic partner.
Following the meeting in Warsaw, Valtonen travelled to Ukraine for another informal gathering of EU foreign ministers in Lviv. The session, hosted by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Ukraine’s Acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, included discussions on establishing a special tribunal to investigate Russia’s war of aggression.
According to Reuters, the tribunal would be organised under the Council of Europe and could be operational by 2026. The Council is Europe’s top human rights organisation.
Valtonen said the meeting underlines the EU’s commitment to accountability and continued support for Ukraine. “Ukraine has demonstrated time and again its desire for lasting peace,” she said. “This effort, like Ukraine’s defence of European security, deserves our strongest possible support.”
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
