By Talha Ozturk
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob expressed shock on Monday at the horrifying ordeals of Palestinian children, saying that none of them would want their children to be in a similar situation while referring to Israel's daily genocidal bombardments of the Gaza Strip, in which the majority of the victims are women and children.
“Today, when we visited the first group of Palestinian children who arrived in Slovenia from Gaza, we were reminded of how horrifying their ordeals are,” Golob told the media outside the Soca Rehabilitation Institute for children from Gaza in Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital.
“Certainly, none of us want our own children to be subjected to what happened to the Gaza children,” he said.
The prime minister said the children want to know if they will ever live a normal life again in Gaza.
"It is difficult to give that answer because today nobody has it…because Gaza has been turned into an area that may never be inhabited again, at least as far as the north is concerned," said Golub.
Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, flanked by the prime minister, said Slovenia can assist in the rehabilitation and expansion of psychosocial services for Gaza children.
"It may be a drop in the ocean, but for every such child and his family, there is hope for the future," said Fajon.
Last week, a Slovenian member of the European Parliament called for stricter sanctions against Israel, emphasizing the need for increased humanitarian aid to Palestinians due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Since 2006, Israel has enforced a blockade on Gaza, leading many to call the area the world's largest open-air prison.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, Israel has intensified its offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.
Local health authorities report that over 42,600 people have died, most of them women and children, and more than 99,800 have been injured since the escalation began.
The ongoing Israeli assault has nearly displaced the entire population of the Gaza Strip, exacerbated by a blockade that has resulted in severe shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice due to its actions in Gaza.