Only two-state solution will bring peace, says Swedish FM | Conflict Zone

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom says that even though “rockets were still falling,” EU, US and regional leaders needed to continue to pursue both short-term and long-term efforts to bring de-escalation to the Middle East. Billstrom told DW’s Sarah Kelly that Israel had the right to defend itself and its citizens in the wake of the October 7th Hamas atrocities. The minister said gaining the release the some 200 hostages kidnapped by Islamist militants and thought to be held in Gaza was a top priority along with alleviating the suffering of the 2.2 million Gazan residents. Billstrom said Sweden supported a “humanitarian pause” to get aid into the territory under blockade and hoped that European Union leaders would agree to support such a move. The center-right politician also discussed controversial Quran burnings in Sweden as well as the general security situation in Europe, his country’s process of NATO membership and Stockholm’s support for Ukraine's fight to restore its territorial integrity against Russia. Billstrom said there was no Western “double standard” when it came to the two major conflicts but recognized that perceptions in developing countries differed.

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