Slovenia bans imports from Israeli settlements over Gaza war
Slovenia's government has frequently criticised Israel over the conflict, and last year moved to recognise a Palestinian state as part of efforts to end the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible.
"The actions of the Israeli government... constitute serious and repeated violations of international humanitarian law," the government said in a statement on Wednesday.
Slovenia "cannot and must not be part of a chain that enables or overlooks" such violations it said includes the "construction of illegal settlements, expropriations, the forced evictions of the Palestinian population."
The Slovenian government thus decided to "ban imports of goods originating from Israeli illegal settlements."
Its latest move represents a "clear reaction to the Israeli government's policy, which... undermines the possibilities for lasting peace and a two-state solution."
"While symbolic", the ban "is a necessary response to the ongoing humanitarian and security situation in Gaza," Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said of the measure.
The government said it was also examining a ban on exports of goods from Slovenia "destined for (the) illegal settlements", saying that it would then "decide on further measures."
According to the STA news agency, citing a government statement from January, Slovenia did not import any goods from Israeli settlements in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
In 2023, imports amounted to some 2,000 euros.
Early in July, Slovenia was the first EU country to ban two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country.
It declared both Israelis "persona non grata", accusing them of inciting "extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians" with "their genocidal statements."
In June 2024, Slovenia's parliament passed a decree recognising Palestinian statehood, following in the steps of Ireland, Norway and Spain, in moves partly fuelled by condemnation of Israel's bombing of Gaza after the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.--AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
a minute ago
- New Straits Times
Only 1.5pct of Gaza farmland usable: FAO
PARIS: Only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's farmland is accessible and undamaged -- less than a square mile -- according to the latest satellite survey published Wednesday by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, which warned the Palestinian territory was on "the brink of a full-scale famine". In its previous survey, published at the end of May, the FAO had indicated that less than five per cent of Gaza farmland was both accessible and undamaged, based on data from the UN Satellite Centre. The survey, which dates from July 28, found that 8.6 per cent of Gaza's farmland was accessible, but only 1.5 per cent, or 2.3 square kilometres (less than one square mile) was both accessible and usable. An additional 12.4 per cent of farmland is undamaged, but not accessible. An overwhelming majority of Gaza's farmland -- 86.1 per cent -- is damaged, the survey found. "Gaza is now on the brink of a full-scale famine," the FAO's director-general Qu Dongyu said in a statement. "People are starving not because food is unavailable, but because access is blocked, local agrifood systems have collapsed, and families can no longer sustain even the most basic livelihoods," he added. Qu called for safe and sustained humanitarian access to restore local food production and avoid a further loss of life. "The right to food is a basic human right," he said. Before the conflict, agriculture accounted for around 10 percent of the Gaza Strip's economy. The FAO estimated that more than 560,000 people, or a quarter of the population, were being at least partially supported by agriculture and fishing. The Israeli government is under growing pressure to bring the war in Gaza to an end, with concern mounting after the United Nations warned that famine was unfolding in the territory of more than two million Palestinians. The October 2023 attack by Hamas that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,158 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry, which are considered reliable by the United Nations. - AFP
Barnama
6 hours ago
- Barnama
Malaysia Condemns Israeli Zionist Regime's Plan To Take Over Gaza
PUTRAJAYA, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has condemned in no uncertain terms the Israeli Zionist regime's latest decision to launch a full military takeover of Gaza. Malaysia also calls on all nations to unequivocally reject Israel's apartheid policies. In a statement, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said this calculated and unconscionable move signals a clear intention by the regime to permanently occupy Palestinian lands, in flagrant violation of international law and flouting the principles of basic human rights and justice. bootstrap slideshow 'After 22 months of relentless bombings, siege, and the forced displacement of over 90 per cent of Gaza's population, the move is intended to put an end to the two-state solution. 'If Israel is allowed to continue, its actions will put an end to the peace process and deny the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination,' the statement read. Urging all nations to unequivocally reject Israel's apartheid policies, Malaysia also said immediate and concrete actions must be taken towards recognising the state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. 'Malaysia also calls on all nations to secure a permanent ceasefire, the full withdrawal of Israeli Zionist regime's forces from Gaza, immediately end all blockade of humanitarian access, and ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid and the full entry of the State of Palestine as a member of the United Nations,' the statement read. Earlier, Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his Facebook post said the country's commitment to defending the rights of the Palestinian people remains firm, not only through strong statements on the international stage, but also by working closely with regional and global leaders. -- BERNAMA
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Malaysia condemns Israeli Zionist regime's plan to take over Gaza
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has condemned in no uncertain terms the Israeli Zionist regime's latest decision to launch a full military takeover of Gaza. Malaysia also calls on all nations to unequivocally reject Israel's apartheid policies. The Foreign Ministry said this calculated and unconscionable move signals a clear intention by the regime to permanently occupy Palestinian lands, in flagrant violation of international law and flouting the principles of basic human rights and justice. "After 22 months of relentless bombings, siege, and the forced displacement of over 90 per cent of Gaza's population, the move is intended to put an end to the two-state solution. "If Israel is allowed to continue, its actions will put an end to the peace process and deny the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination," the ministry said in a statement. Malaysia also said immediate and concrete actions must be taken towards recognising the state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. "Malaysia also calls on all nations to secure a permanent ceasefire, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, immediately end all blockade of humanitarian access, and ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid and the full entry of the State of Palestine as a member of the United Nations," the statement read. Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a Facebook post said the country's commitment to defending the rights of the Palestinian people remains firm, not only through strong statements on the international stage, but also by working closely with regional and global leaders.
