MADRID: Spain signalled support on Wednesday for French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal of an international coalition under a United Nations mandate to stabilize Gaza, calling it “one of the tools” that could bring peace to the region.
Macron said on Monday that such a UN mission would be tasked with securing the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians and working in support of unspecified Palestinian governance. He said the UN Security Council should work on establishing the mission, while France would also work with its partners.
“The proposal ... is one of the tools that can help achieve peace and security in Gaza and the Middle East, as is the work of UNRWA as the UN agency for aid to the Palestinian people,” the Spanish ministry said in an emailed reply to questions from Reuters.
“This force must be a step toward building the two-state solution,” it added, referring to the idea of bringing peace through the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel in territory Israel captured in a 1967 war.
Spain is a sharp critic of Israel’s widening war in Gaza and last year joined a handful of EU nations in recognizing a Palestinian state, a group now joined by France.
By proposing a UN-mandated mission in Gaza, Macron is seeking to build on the momentum created by his recognition of a Palestinian state last month, which set off a domino of recognitions, with Britain, Canada and Australia announcing plans to follow suit next month.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry said a temporary UN mission could ultimately contribute to a successful transfer of power to a Palestinian state administration and to achieving peace and security for all.
Last week, Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, in a move that expanded its military operations in the shattered Palestinian territory and drew strong criticism at home and abroad.
Spain signals support for UN-led mission to stabilize Gaza
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Spain signals support for UN-led mission to stabilize Gaza
Swedish intelligence warns of increased Middle East war fallout
- “The threat has increased primarily against American, Jewish, Israeli interests or opposition figures” Hallstrom told AFP
- Hallstrom also said the war in the Middle East could have “considerable impact” on European security
STOCKHOLM: A top Swedish intelligence official on Thursday warned of increased threats against American and Israeli interests, as well as Iranian dissidents, in Sweden because of the war in the Middle East.
The Scandinavian country’s security, which had already deteriorated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has worsened since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday unleashed a new war, according to Fredrik Hallstrom, head of operations for the Swedish Security Service (Sapo).
“The threat has increased primarily against American, Jewish, Israeli interests or opposition figures, rather than toward Sweden as a nation or country,” Hallstrom told AFP.
“I’m talking about opposition figures with such influence that they could actually either be perceived as a serious threat to the Iranian regime, or in fact be one,” he explained.
Hallstrom also said the war in the Middle East could have “considerable impact” on European security.
Police have taken measures to increase security around potential targets, such as embassies, he said.
Sapo has previously pointed to Iran, China and Russia as the main threats to the country.
It has accused Iran in particular of recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to commit “acts of violence” against Israeli and other interests in Sweden — a claim Iran denied.
Other risks highlighted by Sapo include increased intelligence activities in Sweden, surveillance and actions targeting Iranian dissidents in exile, as well as the acquisition of equipment, research and know-how that could contribute to the development of nuclear weapons.
“We know that Iran uses cyberattacks and hacks phones and computers in order to monitor others,” Hallstrom said.
He added that this monitoring could be potentially used to get individuals “in Sweden to provide information about other people, by exerting pressure.”
