LOC19:28
16:28 GMT
GENEVA, Feb 28 (KUNA) -- The Human Rights Council continued its high-level segment on Wednesday, stuck between silence and condemnation of the aggression against the Gaza Strip, amid ongoing accusations of double standards.
Western positions have been unanimous in terms of condemnation of the war in Ukraine and expressions of support and demands for inquiry and accountability, while a sense of divergence over the crisis in Gaza.
In his speech, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno reiterated his country's support for the UN agency aiding the Palestinians, citing further assistance Madrid will provide in addition to the EUR 3.5 million it had previously announced after the halt in UNRWA funding by major donors.
Addressing the gathering, Norway's State Secretary of Foreign Affairs Andreas Kravik said that his country strongly condemned the aggression against Gaza as much as it condemned the war on Ukraine, calling on the international community to respect international humanitarian law without "double standards".
Similarly, Irish Minister of State for European Affairs and Defense Peter Burke called on the "occupying entity" to respect the decisions of the International Court of Justice and expressed his grave concern over the military intervention in Rafah.
Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib also condemned the "immense destruction of Gaza" and called for an immediate ceasefire, while her German counterpart Annalena Baerbock stressed Berlin's full support for Ukraine and reiterated a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. (end)
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