Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced Monday that his government will summon the Israeli ambassador to protest the refusal to allow aid into Gaza.’We absolutely do not support what the Israeli government is doing now, blocking access to Gaza,’ Kristersson said in statements reported by the Swedish news agency TT.’We have been very clear about this, both at the national level and with many other European countries.Pressure is mounting now, there is no doubt about that, and for very good reasons, he added, noting that his country supports a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.On May 21, the European Union (EU) announced the launch of a formal review of the Association Agreement with Israel, particularly Article 2 of the agreement relating to respect for human rights, in light of recent developments and the continued Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and its prevention of the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip.The European Commission (EC) will initiate this procedure to verify Israel's respect for human rights and democratic principles, conditions stipulated in Article 2 of the agreement.58 Palestinians have died from malnutrition and 242 others from lack of food and medicine, most of them elderly and children, during the 80 days of the Israeli blockade.The Israeli occupation continues its policy of systematic starvation of approximately 2.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by closing the crossings to aid supplies piling up on the border since March 2, plunging the Strip into a state of famine.In recent days, it has expanded its war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, announcing a ground invasion in the north and south of the Strip.
