Prime Minister Golob: Slovenia to provide additional humanitarian aid to the Palestinian civilian population
Archival photo of the dispatch of material aid in February 2024. | Author Anže Malovrh, STA
The prolonged shortage of basic necessities has had a devastating impact on the local population. Today's decision relates to the fourth aid package that Slovenia is providing to Gaza's residents. The aid will again be delivered via Jordan.
The first direct humanitarian aid was sent in February 2024, after Prime Minister Golob and King Abdullah II of Jordan agreed on cooperation on the margins of the Munich Security Conference. This latest aid package is also the result of an agreement between the two leaders, reaffirming Slovenia's active role in the international community.
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia today also banned the import of goods originating from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including a prohibition on any attempts to circumvent the import ban. The Government instructed the relevant ministries to examine the possibility of banning the export of goods from the Republic of Slovenia to illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, after which it will decide on further measures.
The actions of the Israeli government in the occupied Palestinian territories – including the construction of illegal settlements, expropriations, the forced displacement of the Palestinian population, the destruction of their homes and the systematic restriction of access to basic resources – constitute serious and repeated violations of international humanitarian law. These actions threaten not only the lives and dignity of the Palestinian population, but also the foundations of international order. As a responsible member of the international community, Slovenia cannot and must not be part of a chain that enables or overlooks such practices. The measures adopted represent a clear response to the policy of the Israeli government, whose actions are undermining the prospects for lasting peace and a two-state solution.
These decisions follow the announcements made by Prime Minister Golob, who has repeatedly stated, most recently on the margins of the June European Council meeting, that Slovenia will act independently if the European Union fails to take concrete measures by mid-July. However, due to internal divisions and a lack of unity, the European Union is currently unable to fulfil this task.
Last week, the Government approved a decision to ban the import, export and transit of weapons to and from Israel, making the Republic of Slovenia the first European country to do so.
Slovenia consistently and firmly advocates the respect for international law and the protection of human rights.