Slovenia become first EU country to ban arms trade with Israel

Slovenia on Thursday become the first European Union country to impose an embargo on the export, import, and transit of arms to Israel.

The move, announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob, came two weeks after Ljubljana declared several far-right Israeli government ministers persona non grata.

International pressure is mounting on Israel over the war in Gaza and the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.

Slovenia recognised a Palestinian state last year and has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and increased aid deliveries to the enclave.

In May, its President Natasa Pirc Musar told the European Parliament that the EU needed to take stronger action against Israel, condemning “the genocide” in Gaza.

The foreign minister, Tanja Fajon, said Thursday that it is clear for Slovenia that “all measures are on the table”.

"We support the suspension of [Israel's] Accession Agreement, also trade sanctions, an arms embargo - sanctions against some settlers, some ministers in the Israeli government that support violence,” she said.

Fajon added that all these measures need to come into force “as soon as possible, until a ceasefire, until the violence has stopped, until we have a resolution between two countries".

Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob on Thursday said Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute serious violations of international law, saying Palestinians were “dying because humanitarian aid is systematically denied them”.

Much of the Palestinian enclave is in ruins after almost 22 months of war with the United Nations warning that conditions in Gaza risk pushing nearly half a million people into famine by the end of September.