Iceland joins joint statement on Israeli settlements

Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir is among 12 foreign ministers who have issued a joint statement on plans to impose trade sanctions or other measures over illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine that undermine the two-state solution, mbl.is reports.

The statement reaffirms the countries’ support for a two-state solution and the importance of achieving lasting and just peace. It calls on the Israeli government to immediately halt the expansion of settlements in Palestine, ensure that settlers are held accountable for acts of violence and investigate allegations against Israeli soldiers.

The countries also recognise Israel’s legitimate security interests and reiterate their condemnation of Hamas’s terrorist attack on 7 October 2023. The statement says the attack was the bloodiest against a Jewish community since the Holocaust and that antisemitism must be addressed wherever it occurs.

In addition to Iceland, the signatories are the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Canada, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.