Slovenia is halting all trade in weapons with Israel, the government has announced. “Slovenia is the first European country to ban the import, export, and transit of weapons to and from Israel,” according to a statement.
The government in Ljubljana says it is taking this step individually and not in EU context because member states would not be able to take tough measures together. Slovenia has been critical of Israeli actions in Gaza for some time.
In June 2024, the country decided to recognize the Palestinian state, and earlier this month, it imposed entry bans on two extremist Israeli ministers. The Netherlands also introduced that measure this week.
Special US Envoy and US Ambassador to Gaza Strip
Special US Middle East Envoy Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, are visiting Gaza on Friday. There, they want to see how the distribution of aid by the controversial American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is progressing. They will also meet with residents.
Witkoff has already consulted with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the war in Gaza and the humanitarian situation there. Israel is under increasing international pressure to allow more aid into the area and to reach a ceasefire.
The GHF has received a lot of international criticism because too little help is being provided. In addition, chaos regularly breaks out at the distribution points and people are killed. According to human rights organizations, Israeli soldiers are shooting at the crowd there.
France and Germany bring relief supplies to Gaza Strip with controversial airdrops
France will fly 40 tons of relief supplies to the Gaza Strip from Jordan starting Friday. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot acknowledges that this is not enough for the “abhorrent situation” in Gaza. Germany has also started dropping 14 tons of relief supplies.
Flour, sugar and canned goods are among the items being dropped. Many relief goods, such as fuel, water and certain foods for children, cannot be dropped from an airplane. That is one of the reasons why aid organizations are critical of the drops.
There is also criticism because it is dangerous to drop the packages down, as people can be injured. Moreover, with airdrops it is difficult to distribute aid to those who need it most, aid organizations say. In addition, the quantity is relatively small. A truck can easily hold 20 tons of relief supplies.
Only a fraction of the required number of trucks reach Gaza
The Israeli army has instituted “tactical combat pauses” in the Gaza Strip since Sunday, which are in effect from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (local time). There are also so-called humanitarian corridors (routes) between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM, so that the United Nations and aid organizations can deliver food and medicine to the population of Gaza.
It is unclear how much of that arrives properly. Aid organizations state that six hundred trucks per day are needed to feed the residents of Gaza normally, but only a fraction of that has arrived in recent days. The trucks that enter Gaza are also looted fairly quickly by hungry Palestinians before they can reach the people most in need.
Attacks, injuries and deaths are still being reported. For example, Palestinians are still being shot or killed at food points. There have also been reports of deaths and injuries in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. It is unclear whether this happens during or outside the announced combat pauses.