Slovenia has decided to ban all arms transactions with Israel. This is the first such measure among European Union (EU) member states.
On the 1st (local time), according to European media, including Euractive, the Slovenian government stated in a statement the previous night that "humanitarian aid to Gaza is being systematically denied (by Israel)," confirming the decision.
The Slovenian government stated, "Due to internal disagreements and divisions within the (EU), it has become impossible to take concrete response measures, so we decided to act independently," adding that "there is a duty to act as a responsible nation, even if it means making decisions that are ahead of others."
The Slovenian government also included in its statement that it has not issued export licenses for arms and military equipment to Israel since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas in October 2023.
Slovenia declared that it would recognize Palestine as a state, stating that the humanitarian crisis has deepened since the outbreak of the Gaza War in June last year. Last month, it also became the first EU member state to designate two individuals as diplomatic pariahs, banning their entry: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.