US condemns sanctions by 5 countries on Israeli ministers
Secretary of state urges reversal of sanctions by UK, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, Australia, saying US stands 'shoulder-to-shoulder' with Israel
WASHINGTON
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday condemned sanctions imposed by the UK, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two right-wing members of the Israeli Cabinet.
"These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” Rubio said on X.
His remarks came after the five countries sanctioned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich "for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank."
On Palestinian resistance group Hamas, Rubio said: "We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is.”
The US urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands "shoulder-to-shoulder" with Israel, he added.
Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal offensive in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, killing nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Aid agencies have warned of the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.�
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.
