'Enough is enough': Slovenia’s foreign minister says killings in Gaza must stop

NEW YORK

Slovenia's foreign minister has called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have continued for over 100 days, saying "enough is enough."

In an interview with Anadolu in New York, Tanja Fajon highlighted the need for an immediate cease-fire and a political solution to address the ongoing conflict, saying the hostilities must stop "because there is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance."

"We see day to day a worsening of the humanitarian situation, a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of children and women (were) killed and we have to stop it. Enough is enough," said Fajon.

She said "we have to be serious about the two-state solution," adding it would be the only guarantee for the safety of Israel and for the safety of Israelis and Palestinians.

Fajon noted that the conflict between Israel and Palestine is being discussed among European Union ministers and their Middle East counterparts in Brussels

"There are, of course, certain differences among the positions, but where we are united is on the two-state solution, on being against the forced displacement of people in Gaza and (that) the West Bank belongs to Palestinians," she said.

Test of our humanity

Asked whether the UN Security Council is efficient in finding a solution to the ongoing conflict, Fajon said it does not provide safety, security and peace for everyone, which she said was the main mission of the organization.

"So we have to do more. We have our collective responsibility. The Security Council does also speak about the day after when it comes to the Middle East...We have a collective responsibility, and it's a test of our humanity. And it's, I say, quite a challenging task," she said.

Recalling that Slovenia backed resolutions at the Security Council, citing the latest one which condemned the attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on ships in the Red Sea, Fajon said her nation will support "any initiative that creates the conditions for peace and afford a peace plan."

"So we'll continue doing so, and we will always strive for peace, respect for international law, respect for human rights law and international humanitarian law," she said.

Israel has pounded Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 25,490 Palestinians and injuring 63,354. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Türkiye-EU relations

When asked for comments about relations between Türkiye and the EU, Fajon called Türkiye a "very important strategic partner" for the bloc.

"Türkiye is also sitting at the table when we discuss the future architecture of a large and stronger Europe. This is some positive stuff, and bilaterally I can say that Türkiye and Slovenia have good relations and I do hope that soon I will visit also with some business partners in Türkiye," she said.

*Writing by Servet Gunerigok