LJUBLJANA: Slovenia today called for an international intervention following an Israeli attack on a clearly marked World Food Program (WFP) humanitarian aid convoy in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking during a joint press conference with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, Slovenia Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon stated that the Slovenian government was aware of the Israeli army’s attack on the humanitarian aid convoy in Gaza, adding that it requires an intervention and response by the international community.
Stressing the need to protect civilians and release hostages, Fajon underscored that a two-state solution needs to be reached, as reported by the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah.
Calling for an “immediate” cease-fire in Gaza, she highlighted that they continue to work towards the recognition of Palestine as an independent state.
This came a day after Fajon stressed the need for an immediate temporary ceasefire in Gaza in order to carry out vaccination campaigns to protect childre
n against polio. She also supported the debate on the imposition of further sanctions upon Israel.
Fajon made her comments during an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels
Over a working lunch with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, she called for the imposition of sanctions upon political leaders in Israel who violate international law.
“I strongly condemned Israel’s intensified military operation in the West Bank and called for a further tightening of sanctions against Israel,” she added and once again called on European partners to follow suit and recognise Palestine as an independent and sovereign state.
“Slovenia will continue to be a vocal supporter of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the killing of civilians.”
She stated that “Slovenia has recognised Palestine as a sovereign and independent state, and this recognition is in no way hostile to the people of Israel. Slovenia strongly condemns the actions of the Israeli government led by Netanyahu, which violate internatio
nal law. We believe that the recognition of Palestine is the only guarantee of peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians’.
Israel has proceeded with its genocidal offensive on the war-torn Strip in complete disregard of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Israel in a legally binding decision to halt its military offensive in Rafah, which may violate its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, killing at least 40,602 Palestinians and injuring over 93,855 others.
Moreover, at least 10,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern c
ity of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA