‘Netanyahu, stop war!’ says Slovenian foreign minister

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon on Tuesday called on the Israeli government to stop its disproportionate military offensives in Gaza and Lebanon.

“Netanyahu, stop war,” she said, expressing her worry over the rising civilian casualties, and growing risk of a wider regional war in the Middle East.

“What we see on the ground is more than a million of displaced persons. A land offensive … that we are strongly calling on all sides to restrain from it, protect civilians, and not to go further in escalation of the war,” Fajon told Anadolu, during her Berlin visit.

The top Slovenian diplomat said European Union member states are extremely worried over the latest escalation, and are continuing their efforts for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire.

“We were always saying that what is happening in Gaza, with violation of international law, with killings of innocent civilians and children and women, will escalate further,” she said.

“And this is what we are witnessing today. So it's an urgent call of the whole European Union, my country especially, to stop this violence on the ground, protect civilians and the respect of international law,” the minister added.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated to an all-time high over the weekend, after Israeli strikes killed Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah and top commanders.

At least 1,057 people were killed and 2,950 others were injured in Israeli attacks in the last two weeks, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, and injured more than 96,000, mostly women and children.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the besieged enclave, where millions of Palestinians are displaced, facing famine and acute shortages of medical aid and other essentials.