Yet again, the UN Security Council members gathered to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. As the suffering of civilians continues to mount, Slovenia called for three steps that would end the enduring agony and humanitarian struggle.

As Ambassador Žbogar emphasized at the morning briefing, Council members may differ in nuances where the fault for not ending the suffering is, however they all agree on the need to protect civilians. To this end, Slovenia called for Israel and Hamas to finalize a ceasefire deal; for an Olympic truce and for further actions to make Hamas and Israel comply, if a deal is not in place.

In his statement, the Ambassador reiterated that UNRWA has been the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza. “We are therefore particularly pleased that, together with the large majority of UN Member States, all current and incoming Council members have joined the shared commitments on UNRWA, reaffirming the vital role of the agency,” he underlined, referring to the initiative, proposed by Jordan, Kuwait and Slovenia on 22 May 2024, and formally launched at the UNRWA Pledging Conference on 12 July in New York. Over 120 Member States, including all members of the UN Security Council, have signed up to these commitments, expressing solidarity and support for UNRWA’s meaningful work.

Unfortunately, UNRWA has paid one of the highest prices in Gaza, with 199 staff members killed and a high number of its installations being either damaged or destroyed, including the agency’s main compound in Gaza.

Aiming to end the war in Gaza, the UN Security Council has already adopted four resolutions, established a mechanism for humanitarian aid and called for a ceasefire and the release of hostages several times. In the meantime, we let the Rafah operation happen and have been waiting for the ceasefire negotiations to finalize and open the pathway to peace.

Slovenia stands ready to engage continuously, offering proposals and putting pressure on those with influence.

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