Statement by H.E. Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the UN at the UN Security Council Briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question (Israeli Request Hostages)

Thank you very much, Mr. President. And also we thank Assistant Secretary General Jenča for his briefing and we acknowledge the presence of Foreign Minister Sa’ar and the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine in the meeting. We thank Ilay David for sharing his deeply personal testimony. The images of your brother, Eyvatar, which were published days ago are simply horrifying. We feel and we share the unbearable pain of your family. We strongly condemn Hamas and Islamic Jihad for their cruelty towards the hostages.

All images coming from Gaza these days – of hostages and of malnourished children – shock us to our core. They remind us of the unacceptable suffering of civilians one year and nine months into this war. And our public keeps asking what else needs to happen in Gaza for the world to move and stop this war.

Slovenia reiterates today its call for the immediate, unconditional and dignified release of all hostages. This has been our call from the beginning. International law is clear – hostage taking is prohibited. Using their starved images as propaganda is simply barbaric. We once again condemn the heinous acts of Hamas and other terrorist groups of October 7^th.

While in captivity all hostages must be afforded humane treatment – they must receive the medical care and attention they so desperately require, and the ICRC should be granted immediate access to them.

Colleagues,

Recognising the suffering of the hostages does not diminish the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. And vice versa. Recognising the suffering of Palestinians does not diminish the suffering of the hostages. The suffering of all civilians caught in this war is intolerable. The humanity of the 21^st century and this Council should not allow this type of inhumane treatment to continue.

Mr. President,

Deliberate starvation is unlawful and morally unacceptable – wherever it happens, and whoever perpetrates it. All parties have obligations under international humanitarian law. And yet in Gaza, these obligations have been systematically and gravely violated, with devastating consequences.

We must be honest about the reality of the situation on the ground and my Pakistani colleague has already quoted the IPC Panel, which just last week raised an alarm that the “worst case scenario” of famine and humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes. Israel is obliged to facilitate humanitarian aid. Instead, the months-long Israeli blockade has led us to a point of moral outrage. We see with our own eyes how the vulnerable are suffering – children, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and hostages. No one is immune.

Small improvements and public proclamations of “humanitarian pauses” are way past due and simply not enough. We demand the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale to the population of Gaza. The UN and humanitarians must be able to do their lifesaving work safely and securely. They have proven that they can deliver, if only they are allowed to do their job. We also appeal once again for the establishment of a corridor to facilitate medical evacuations of patients from Gaza to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Mr. President,

Each human being has inherent dignity and value. In the midst of tragedy and chaos, we must never allow ourselves to deny the human element of this crisis. Names like Eyvatar David and Rom Braslavski should not go unspoken or be forgotten in this chamber. Neither should names of children like Hind Rajab, killed while pleading for help, and Mahmoud Aijour, who lost both arms.

And many names we may never know. Countless lives destroyed, countless lives lost. As the father of one hostage powerfully said, “In a competition of pain, there are no winners”.

We recall how during the ceasefire earlier this year, we witnessed scenes of hostages being reunited with their families, of aid at scale moving through crossings, of Palestinian children returning to school, of families returning to their homes even if only rubble was left behind. We hold on to hope that this can once again become a reality. We need an immediate ceasefire and an end to the suffering of hostages and civilians alike. Slovenia urges all parties to recommit to ceasefire talks.

Slovenia firmly rejects any plans to expand military operations in Gaza, which would seriously endanger civilians, including hostages, and compound the humanitarian catastrophe. There is no military solution to this suffering. Experience has shown that it brings us no closer to peace, freedom or security for Palestinians or for Israelis.  

A lasting ceasefire must be secured. A ceasefire gives desperate relief to all in Gaza living under relentless bombardment, a ceasefire brings hostages home, a ceasefire puts food on tables, and a ceasefire provides space for a political horizon towards a two-state solution.

We must renew our demand for a ceasefire now. 

Thank you.

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