Prime Minister Kaja Kallas says Estonia must support Israel while at the same time assisting civilians of Gaza. “Hamas is waging a ruthless campaign of terror with zero regard for human life, including the lives of Palestinians,” she remarked. “Israel is fully entitled to defend itself. But it must do so in a way that spares innocent lives and adheres to the norms of international law.”
The head of government added that it is imperative that humanitarian aid reaches those who need it quickly and without hindrance. “Estonia has decided to provide further aid in support of the Palestinian people through UN organisations,” she announced. “We have also decided to support Israel by providing it with medical aid.”
Prime Minister Kallas noted that radicalisation in any form is a threat to all, which is why there must be cooperation among countries in the region and with other partners to ensure that the conflict in the Middle East does not spread. “Bringing the violence and tension to an end is in the interests of the Israelis, the Palestinians, the Middle East and the world as a whole,” she said. “Inciting a crisis in the region benefits no one other than those interested in drawing our attention away from other issues and undermining our unity. That is to say it is useful to those seeking to distract the free world from its support for Ukraine. It is all the more important then that we maintain a united front and wide-ranging support for the Ukrainians.”
The UN and other organisations have called on countries to promptly increase their provision of humanitarian aid. To date, Estonia has regularly contributed to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to help meet the humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians, most recently providing 80,000 euros in support to the agency this summer.
The government today approved the proposal of Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna and Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur to contribute a total of 240,000 euros in medical and humanitarian aid to the crisis-affected region of the Middle East, to be used in support of civilians in both Israel and Gaza. The UNRWA, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will receive assistance in addition to Israel.
