New York: Slovenia became the latest European country after Spain, Ireland, and Norway to recognize Palestine as an independent state even as Israel ramped up its offensive in Gaza amid continued international calls to end the fighting.
As many as 52 members of parliament out of 90 voted for the recognition just as separate airstrikes and shelling in central and southern Gaza killed at least 19 people on June 4.
"Dear people of Palestine, today's final decision of Slovenia is a message of hope and peace. We believe that only a two-state solution can lead to a lasting peace in the MiddleEast. Slovenia will tirelessly continue to work on the security of both nations, Palestinians and Israelis," Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said in a statement posted on X.
In central Gaza, the Israeli military said this week that its troops launched a ground operation into the Bureij refugee camp. Local hospital officials said a strike in the urban camp killed 11 Palestinians, including three children and a woman.
The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 36,550, health authorities in the enclave said in a statement. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 71 Palestinians and wounded 182 others, bringing the total injuries to 82,959 since the conflict broke out in October 2023.
Hamas on June 4 said it could not agree to any ceasefire deal unless Israel made a "clear" commitment to a permanent truce and its forces completely withdrew from the Gaza Strip.
Last week, a three-phase proposal was presented by US President Joe Biden which called for a six-week ceasefire wherein Israeli forces would withdraw from "all populated areas" of Gaza and that some hostages would be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
