VILNIUS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- While hosting Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Vilnius on Monday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda criticized Israel over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, saying that starvation cannot be used as a weapon.
"The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains dire. I call on the Israeli government to take urgent steps to resolve the humanitarian crisis by ensuring adequate delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially women and children," Nauseda said at a joint press conference, Baltic News Service (BNS) reported.
"Starvation cannot be used as a tool of political or military fighting," he added.
Calling on Israel to ensure the respect of human rights in Gaza, Nauseda also condemned violence in the West Bank and the illegal expansion of settlements.
Besides expressing his concerns over the Gaza situation, Nauseda also emphasized the efforts to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the defence and security industries.
Herzog's visit to Lithuania comes as the international community is stepping up criticism of Israel's campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has triggered a humanitarian crisis.
During Herzog's visit, several protests took place in the Lithuanian capital against Lithuania's cooperation with Israel.
According to the Israeli president's office, Lithuania is the first stop of Herzog's official visit to the Baltic States from Aug. 3 to 6. To strengthen bilateral relations in areas such as economic, technological, and security cooperation, he will visit Latvia and Estonia as his next stops, accompanied by an economic delegation. ■
