Finland’s president condemns Israel’s Gaza assault as breach of international law

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Wednesday condemned Israel’s ground assault on Gaza, describing it as a violation of international law and norms.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics in Riga, Stubb said the international community had “failed to control the situation” in Gaza, YLE news reported.

“The attack violates international law and norms,” he stressed.

Israel’s military confirmed earlier Tuesday that it had launched an offensive on Gaza City, saying it was targeting positions held by Hamas.

Finland’s politically divided government has been struggling to agree on a unified stance.

Stubb has previously taken a stronger line on the conflict than the four-party coalition government in Helsinki.

In July, he said he would approve recognition of Palestinian statehood if the government submitted such a proposal, noting that the president oversees foreign policy in cooperation with the government under Finland’s constitution.

The Finnish and Latvian presidents also discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, drone incursions over Poland, and regional defense cooperation. Stubb said it was “highly unlikely” that the Russian drones that crossed into Poland’s airspace last week had done so accidentally.

“We must expect the unexpected,” Stubb said, adding that Moscow would continue to test the West “in one way or another.”

Rinkevics urged NATO members to strengthen mechanisms to counter drone threats, while Stubb predicted that cooperation between Nordic and Baltic states, all of which are now NATO members, would deepen further.