Israel violating rights in Gaza, but criticism must come through engagement - Nauseda

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip violate humanitarian law, but stresses that criticism of the Jewish state can only be effective through cooperation, not isolation.

"I believe we must cooperate, because if we don't, all our remarks toward Israel will be pointless, because we would simply have no relationship with Israel," Nauseda told journalists on an LRT TV program on Monday.

"Sometimes the truth is bitter. It must be spoken, but shutting ourselves off and closing the door in every case might be easy, yet if Lithuania were to act like that, it would likely isolate itself," he added.

European Union member countries remain divided over criticism of Israel's actions and have failed to adopt a common position.

While Lithuania has taken a moderate stance, Nauseda said "you'd have to be completely blind" not to see that humanitarian law is being violated in Gaza.

"These violations exist; it's impossible not to see them," he said.

The president pointed to last week's incident in which Israeli forces fired warning shots at foreign diplomats, including the head of Lithuania's office in Palestine.

Israel has recently intensified its operations in the Gaza Strip, describing them as renewed efforts to destroy the Islamist group Hamas.

However, the international community has condemned these actions as Israel has been blocking humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza for nearly three months.

"There are plenty of violations that have drawn legitimate criticism around the world - and harsh criticism, too. Many are outraged that, once again, as always, innocent people are suffering. People in Gaza who aren't involved in the hostilities, children who are being denied the most basic human rights: access to food and clean water. And that's terrible," the president said.

"This has to be said - and it is being said - but unfortunately, the impact so far has been minimal," he added.

The International Criminal Court last year issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, over the war in Gaza.

Israel launched its major military campaign following Hamas's October 2023 attack on the Jewish state.

That assault killed 1,218 people, most of them civilians. The militants also took 251 hostages. Fifty-seven remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military believes are dead.

Gaza's health ministry estimates that the war has killed around 54,000 people, the majority of them civilians.