(MENAFN) On Wednesday, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon engaged in a telephone conversation with her Israeli counterpart Israel Katz to discuss the current situation in Gaza.
"I urged for #CEASEFIRE_NOW. Expressed hope for hostage deal to be reached & urged not to launch military operation in #Rafah as it would aggravate already dire humanitarian situation," Fajon said in a post on X.
During the conversation, she emphasized the importance of ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches all individuals in need within the besieged enclave. Approximately 1.5 million Palestinians, who were displaced by Israel's previous offensive on Gaza, are currently seeking refuge in Rafah due to ongoing hostilities.
Reports of Israel's proposed offensive on the city have sparked international concern, prompting many countries to urge restraint or advocate for the cancellation of the operation.
Israel has initiated a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on October 7, which Tel Aviv claims resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 individuals. The ongoing conflict has resulted in more than 30,700 Palestinians losing their lives and over 72,000 sustaining injuries, amidst widespread destruction and shortages of essential supplies.
In addition to the military offensive, Israel has imposed a severe blockade on the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and leaving the population, particularly those residing in northern Gaza, facing the threat of starvation. As a result of the Israeli war, 85 percent of Gaza's population has been internally displaced, struggling with acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Furthermore, the conflict has inflicted substantial damage on the enclave's infrastructure, with 60 percent reported to have been damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations. The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza underscores the urgent need for international intervention to address the escalating crisis and alleviate the suffering of its population.
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