Statement by Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council Ambassador Samuel Žbogar at the briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

Thank you, Madam President.

I also want to thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for her briefing today.

Slovenia is a country established on the principle of self-determination. Despite our celebration of independence, a siege is not a foreign word to us. Our capital was under siege during the Second World War. In our region, the siege of Sarajevo during the conflict in the 90s was the longest lasting total siege in the contemporary European history. We can associate with the siege. And indiscriminate bombing. And people being killed in line for food or population without food, medicine, gas, electricity and water. Population deprived of human dignity. Back then, we declared: Never again.

A siege is not a foreign word to Palestinians. Gaza has been not only under occupation but under a siege for years, for decades. What we are hearing and witnessing today about Israeli government attitude for the northern Gaza is a siege within a siege, a total siege of starved and traumatized civilians.

Colleagues,

This Council has met many times. With a number of meetings we had, Slovenia avoids repeating what our briefers share with us. So today, I want to be clear with our messages.

We call for an immediate ceasefire.

We call for immediate release of hostages.

We call for lifting of all barriers to delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

We call for basic humanitarian aid: food, water, fuel, medicine, hygiene material, basic things to be delivered at scale.

We call for urgent delivery of winter supplies: again basic items, like proper shelters, warm clothes and blankets.

We call for immediate restoration of food systems and basic services.

We call for opening all available routes to and throughout the entire Gaza Strip, including of border crossings to provide humanitarian assistance to all those in need. 

We call for immediate and sustained access of UN missions to the North.

We call for protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, schools, displacement sites and healthcare facilities.

We call for an end to attacks on health care and for addressing critical shortages of essential medicines and equipment.

We call for an end to forced displacement, including through evacuation orders.

We call for special protection to be granted to women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons and other persons in vulnerable situations.

We call for a fully functioning deconfliction mechanism to ensure safety of humanitarian operations.

We call for protection of humanitarian and health workers, including with access to appropriate protection equipment.

We call for safety, security and respect of United Nations, its personnel and its premises.

We call for withdrawal of legislation on UNRWA which would collapse humanitarian operations in Palestine.

We call for respect of international law, particularly international humanitarian law and human rights law.

We call for full implementation of Security Council resolutions and ICJ provisional orders, which are binding and must be implemented.

We call for end of impunity.

We call for accountability.

We call for security of Israelis and Palestinians.

We call for resumption of a meaningful and time bound political process leading to the two-state solution.

We call for upholding of the UN Charter, also by this very Council.

We call for peace.

So colleagues,

We will not forget Gaza.

And we will not lose hope for this Council to speak with one voice.

Thank you.

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