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We cannot allow illegal annexation of the West Bank, Slovenia’s foreign minister warns

Special We cannot allow illegal annexation of the West Bank, Slovenia’s foreign minister warns
Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. (AFP)
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Updated 23 January 2025

We cannot allow illegal annexation of the West Bank, Slovenia’s foreign minister warns

We cannot allow illegal annexation of the West Bank, Slovenia’s foreign minister warns
  • Nothing and no one is above international law, Tanja Fajon tells Arab News in New York
  • While immediate focus in Gaza must be to ensure ceasefire holds and aid enters the territory, world also needs to keep an eye on the path to a 2-state solution, she says

NEW YORK CITY: Throughout the first year of its two-year stint as an elected member of the UN Security Council, the primary world body tasked with maintaining international peace and security, Slovenia was relentless in pressing for a permanent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
During the 15 months of war, Ljubljana’s representatives also intensified their calls to scale up deliveries of humanitarian aid to the starving population of the territory, while at the same time engaging in serious discussions about ways in which the implementation of a two-state solution might be expedited. Slovenia itself officially recognized Palestine as a state in June last year.
“I'm very proud that Slovenia was on the right side of history with the recognition of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine,” the country’s foreign minister, Tanja Fajon, told Arab News.
She said she is watching developments on the ceasefire front with “hope and relief,” albeit with the awareness that the situation is “very fragile.” All stakeholders in the region will have to commit to the agreement during all of its upcoming phases, she added, until it leads to a “permanent” cessation of hostilities and the dawn of long-awaited peace in the wider region.
During a chat with Arab News on the sidelines of a high-level meeting of the Security Council this week to discuss developments in the Middle East, Fajon said atrocities committed in Gaza during the conflict could amount to genocide.
On Jan. 26 last year, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s actions in Gaza could amount to genocide, and set out six provisional measures with which Israel should comply to protect Palestinians in the territory from the threat of genocide. These measures included ensuring the sufficient provision of humanitarian assistance, and enabling the delivery of basic services.
Amnesty International has accused Israeli authorities of failing to take “even the bare minimum steps to comply” with the court’s ruling.
In November, the UN-backed International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as a former Hamas commander, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
ICC Judges said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility, as co-perpetrators, for the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare, and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.
Several countries that are signatories to the ICC ignored its findings, with some stating they would refuse to abide by the arrest warrant.
These and other instances of disregard for international law have led many around the world to lament that the international system, of which the ICJ and ICC stand as main pillars, now lies in tatters.
As Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency, the largest aid organization for Palestine refugees, told Arab News last week, the war in Gaza is a “crisis of impunity.”
He said: “What we have witnessed is an extraordinary ‘crisis of impunity,’ to the extent that international humanitarian law is almost becoming irrelevant if no mechanism is put in place to address this impunity.”
However, Fajon, whose country prides itself on the enshrinement of international law as the main pillar of its foreign policy, said she remains “strongly convinced that there is no alternative to the world order, the UN Charter, international law and international humanitarian law.”
She continued: “We need this organization (the UN.) We need multilateralism to be effective.”
There is a global consensus that there should be no impunity for the perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. But to successfully prosecute these crimes in national courts, effective cooperation and collaboration among governments is essential.
Experts in international law across five continents have concluded that the current international procedural legal framework for mutual legal assistance and extradition in cases involving the most serious international crimes is incomplete and outdated, effectively hampering the ability of states to cooperate effectively in the fight against impunity.
The desire to address this issue ultimately resulted in the development of the Ljublijana-The Hague Convention, spearheaded by Slovenia, Argentina, Belgium, Mongolia, the Netherlands and Senegal, and signed last year by 32 states.
Also known as the “MLA initiative,” it is a landmark international treaty that aims to ensure justice for victims of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other international crimes by facilitating international cooperation in domestic investigations into, and prosecutions of, such crimes.
Fajon, who is also Slovenia’s deputy prime minister, said: “There can be nothing above international law and international humanitarian law.
“We are strongly committed to the work of international tribunals, be it the ICJ or ICC. And we have to really focus on accountability for those perpetrators who are responsible for atrocities and human tragedies. They have to be brought to justice.”
While the priority now must be to “vigilantly” monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Fajon said, and “do everything in our power” to ensure it holds and progresses to become a permanent ceasefire, “we cannot allow a possible illegal annexation of the West Bank.”
She added that “there are also really serious concerns” about UNRWA’s ability to continue its work, given an Israeli ban on the organization that is due to take effect next week.
Work with the Global Alliance on the Two State solution should also continue to help ensure a “strong” Palestinian Authority emerges after 15 months of war, Fajon said. Slovenia will also work to help facilitate Palestinian Authority control of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, she added, and “really be engaged to make sure there is security for Israelis and statehood of Palestine, for true peace in the region to be established.”
The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, presided over a gathering in New York in September to discuss the situation in Gaza, which was co-hosted by the EU, the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation. From this meeting, which attracted more than 100 participants, the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two State Solution emerged.
The Kingdom plays “a crucial role” in maintaining stability in the region, Fajon said.
“Ƶ is also a very important partner and mediator,” she added. “So I see a strong role of Ƶ, and I hope we can rely on such a strong role also in the future, especially the role that preserves what is most necessary: that is, international law, international humanitarian law, and the UN charter.
“These have to be respected no matter where. And Saudi (Arabia) being a mediator and a good partner also to Slovenia, I do hope we will continue to develop relations in that regard.”


Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars

Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars
Updated 25 sec ago

Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars

Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars
  • Grand mufti urges implementation of UN Resolution 1701, opposes new agreements
  • Joseph Aoun commended the collaboration between Mufti Derian and the Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Aql Sami Abi Al-Mona, during Syria’s Sweida clashes

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday warned that his country cannot endure another war, stressing that national unity and Arab cooperation are key to Lebanon’s recovery.

“The Lebanese can no longer withstand any additional war,” Aoun said, as he urged leaders to reject divisions and foreign meddling, and instead harness growing regional support to rebuild the nation.

He was speaking to a delegation of prominent Sunni religious leaders headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian at the Republican Palace.

The president condemned what he termed Lebanon’s historical “fatal error” —seeking foreign backing against domestic opponents. “We all saw the devastating consequences of this approach,” Aoun said. “Instead, I want to strengthen partnerships with my brothers and allies domestically to counter external threats, regardless of their source.”

Aoun cited Israel as exemplifying the divide-and-conquer strategy that, he said, Lebanon must resist through internal unity. “Our cohesion confronts this approach and addresses all challenges,” he said.

The president gave reassurances about the country’s future, saying that “Lebanon is secure, and we will not return to warfare rhetoric. Our framework is Lebanon itself, destined only for stability and prosperity.”

Fresh from diplomatic talks in Manama, where Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa on Wednesday announced plans for a permanent diplomatic mission in Beirut, Aoun praised recent interfaith coordination that prevented regional tensions from destabilizing Lebanon.

Highlighting the emerging opportunities for Lebanon’s recovery, his call was to seize the support offered by Lebanon’s regional neighbors.

 “We have tremendous prospects ahead of us. You witness how our Arab brothers are extending their hands and approaching us. We must capitalize on these chances and transform our nation’s circumstances.”

He commended the collaboration between Mufti Derian and the Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Aql Sami Abi Al-Mona, during Syria’s Sweida clashes, calling it evidence of “elevated national consciousness and profound responsibility.”

The president criticized those “spreading rumors to intimidate citizens against one another,” while celebrating the dual contributions of Lebanon’s Sunni community: internal moderation and affirming Lebanon’s Arab identity.

Aoun praised the community’s sacrifices, noting religious and political leaders who died serving Lebanon, from clerics Sheikh Ahmed Assaf, Mufti Hassan Khaled, and Mufti Subhi Al-Saleh, to prime ministers Riad Al-Solh, Rashid Karami, and Rafic Hariri.

“No individual possesses the power to eliminate another in Lebanon, nor does anyone hold superior merit,” Aoun said. “United, we all serve Lebanon’s interests. Divided, we destroy the entire nation, leaving no protection for anyone.”

Aoun reported significant progress in government reform, claiming achievements unseen in nearly 15 years — recognition he attributed to international observers. While acknowledging the absence of quick fixes, he emphasized making the most of available opportunities.

Addressing corruption — which he identified as Lebanon’s core problem alongside impunity — Aoun vowed continued action. “Corruption recognizes no boundaries of color, sect, or denomination,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Mufti Derian expressed deep concern over the prevailing “fear and anxiety among the Lebanese,” warning that the country is entering a precarious phase during continued Israeli aggression.

He emphasized that UN Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 war, has been implemented solely by the Lebanese side, while Israel has consistently failed to respect its obligations under the resolution.

The November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was intended to revive the terms of UN Resolution 1701, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, a halt to Hezbollah’s military operations near the southern border, and full control of arms by the Lebanese state. But little progress has been made.

“Even the ceasefire that followed was unilateral, respected and implemented only by Lebanon. According to what we are witnessing, new agreements are now being proposed. Let Resolution 1701, which encompasses all relevant matters, be implemented in full, and let new agreements be dispensed with,” Mufti Derian said in a call for international accountability.

He added: “The Lebanese people have endured immense hardship in recent years, facing one crisis after another, and yet they have remained resilient. Today, more than ever, they need to feel the presence of a state that stands to protect them.”

He reaffirmed support for Aoun in upholding the oath of office, “which we regard as a vital gateway to rescuing both Lebanon and its people. In this critical moment, we look to you to help steer the country through uncertainty, as citizens grow increasingly anxious over the prospect of renewed Israeli aggression. We stand behind the Arab consensus, whatever all Arabs agree upon, we support,” Mufti Derian told Aoun.

He praised Aoun’s efforts to restore Lebanon’s influential position in the region, citing his regional visits and the trust he enjoys among Arab and international partners. He also commended the president’s commitment to preserve stability among Lebanon’s diverse communities.

“The voice of moderation and centrism must prevail among all Lebanese,” Derian said, calling for cooperation.

Lebanon is facing mounting international pressure to implement the US plan, which calls for setting a timetable for the process of restricting arms to the state in implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack highlighted the issue on Wednesday upon his departure from Lebanon after a three-day visit filled with meetings with Lebanese officials. Barrack confirmed from Beirut airport that “there is no deadline for this, and your neighbors are the ones who set the timetable, not the United States,” referring to Israel.

On the security front, the Central Internal Security Council convened a high-level meeting, bringing together senior military, security, and judicial officials.

Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar emphasized the importance of sustained field operations, calling for intensified patrols and a reinforced security presence in Lebanese regions to uphold internal stability. He also highlighted the need to strengthen existing measures along the Syrian border to ensure tighter control and enhanced national security.

The Lebanese Army Command announced that army units arrested 78 Syrians at the Assi-Hermel and Chadra-Akkar checkpoints for illegally entering Lebanese territory.

The army also said that an Intelligence Directorate patrol raided the homes of wanted individuals in Beirut’s southern suburbs, specifically in the Bir al-Abed area, and arrested four citizens.


Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties

Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties
Updated 55 min 40 sec ago

Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties

Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties
  • The move is aimed at mending relations between the two neighbors
  • Therefore, any communication with Libya was not easy, Mitsotakis said

ATHENS: Greece has invited Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli to start talks on demarcating exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean Sea, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said late on Wednesday.

The move is aimed at mending relations between the two neighbors, strained by a controversial maritime deal signed in 2019 between the Libyan government and Turkiye, Greece’s long-standing foe, which mapped out a sea area close to the Greek island of Crete.

“We invite — and I think you may soon see progress in this area — we invite the Tripoli government to discuss with Greece the delimitation of a continental shelf and an exclusive economic zone,” Mitsotakis told local Skai television.

Greece this year launched a new tender to develop its hydrocarbon resources off Crete, a move that Libya has objected to, saying some of the blocks infringed its own maritime zones.

Law and order has been weak in Libya since a 2011 uprising that toppled dictator Muammar Qaddafi, with the country divided by factional conflict into eastern and western sections for over a decade.

Therefore, any communication with Libya was not easy, Mitsotakis said. He indicated that Greece was determined to continue talking to both the Tripoli-based government and a parallel administration based in Benghazi.

In recent months, Athens has sought closer cooperation with Libya to help stem a surge in migrant arrivals from the North African country to Greece’s southern islands of Gavdos and Crete and passed legislation banning migrants arriving from Libya by sea from requesting asylum.

In an incident earlier this month, the European Union migration commissioner and ministers from Italy, Malta and Greece were denied entry to the eastern part of divided Libya, shortly after meeting the internationally recognized government that controls the west of Libya.


Israeli lawmakers pass symbolic motion on West Bank annexation

Israeli lawmakers pass symbolic motion on West Bank annexation
Updated 24 July 2025

Israeli lawmakers pass symbolic motion on West Bank annexation

Israeli lawmakers pass symbolic motion on West Bank annexation
  • The bill was passed by a vote of 71 to 13, with 36 other lawmakers absent in the Knesset
  • Some 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank, which is home to around three million Palestinians

JERUSALEM: More than 70 Israeli lawmakers passed a motion on Wednesday urging the government to impose sovereignty over the West Bank, though the symbolic move does not affect the Palestinian territory’s legal status.
The non-binding vote in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, was backed by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, as well as some opposition lawmakers.
They said that annexing the West Bank “will strengthen the state of Israel, its security and prevent any questioning of the fundamental right of the Jewish people to peace and security in their homeland.”
“Sovereignty in Judea and Samaria” — the name Israel uses for the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967 — was “an integral part of the realization of Zionism and the national vision of the Jewish people,” the text stated.
It passed by a vote of 71 to 13, with 36 other lawmakers absent.
Hussein Al-Sheikh, deputy to Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas, said the motion was “a direct assault on the rights of the Palestinian people” that “undermines the prospects for peace, stability and the two-state solution.”
“These unilateral Israeli actions blatantly violate international law and the ongoing international consensus regarding the status of the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank,” he wrote on X.
Some 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which is home to around three million Palestinians.
Israeli settlement there is regularly condemned by the UN and is considered illegal under international law.
It is seen as one of the main obstacles — along with ongoing violence between the two sides — to a lasting peace agreement through the creation of a viable Palestinian state with authority over the West Bank and Gaza Strip.


Israeli military says eight soldiers wounded in car-ramming attack

Israeli military says eight soldiers wounded in car-ramming attack
Updated 24 July 2025

Israeli military says eight soldiers wounded in car-ramming attack

Israeli military says eight soldiers wounded in car-ramming attack
  • There has been a spate of violence in Israel and the occupied West Bank since the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza

KFAR YONA: The Israeli military said eight soldiers were wounded on Thursday when a driver deliberately rammed his car into a bus stop in what police called a “terror attack.”
The army said two soldiers were “moderately injured” and six “lightly injured” in the attack at the Beit Lid junction near Kfar Yona in central Israel.
“The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment and their families have been notified,” it said in a statement.
There has been a spate of violence in Israel and the occupied West Bank since the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the Palestinian militants’ attack on October 7, 2023.
A teenager died in March this year when police said a car driven by a Palestinian man deliberately plowed into civilians at a bus stop in northern Israel.
One witness to Thursday’s ramming said the driver cut her off the road near Kfar Yona, then “turned his wheel to the right, full gas, as fast as he could, and hit as many people as he could.”
Kineret Hanuka, 45, told AFP: “I saw only blood and heard them screaming: ‘It hurts!’... It was so hard for me to see this.”
Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) first responders said they received a report at 9:25 am (0625 GMT) that a vehicle had crashed into a bus stop near Kfar Yona.
They said that the wounded had chest, limb and head injuries.
Israeli police spokesman Dedan Elsdunne described the incident as a “terror attack, where a terrorist rammed his vehicle into individuals who were standing here waiting to catch the bus.”
“He (the attacker) then attempted to flee. He abandoned his vehicle and fled from that location. We had large police forces who immediately arrived here, set up a perimeter so that we can locate this individual.”
The car was later recovered and the driver is being hunted using helicopters, motorbikes and a specialist dog unit, police added.
The site of the crash was cordoned off as forensic investigators combed the scene, AFP journalists reported.
In Israel, at least 32 people, including soldiers, have died in attacks by Palestinians since the start of the Gaza war, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
In the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, at least 960 Palestinians, including many fighters but also civilians, have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to Palestinian Authority figures.
At the same time, at least 36 Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, Israeli figures showed.


Explosion in northern Syria kills at least 6 people and injures dozens

Explosion in northern Syria kills at least 6 people and injures dozens
Updated 24 July 2025

Explosion in northern Syria kills at least 6 people and injures dozens

Explosion in northern Syria kills at least 6 people and injures dozens
  • The Syrian Civil Defense reported that at least six people were killed in the blast
  • Al-Saleh said on X that teams were transporting the wounded and dead

DAMASCUS: At least six people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion in northern Syria’s Idlib province, officials said Thursday.

There was no official statement on the cause of the blast.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, reported that at least six people were killed in the blast, which took place in the town of Maarat Misrin north of the city of Idlib on Thursday.

“This is the death toll only of those recovered by Syrian Civil Defense teams, who continue to search for those trapped under the rubble,” the White Helmets said in a statement.

Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh in a post on social media platform X that teams were transporting the wounded and dead despite “continued recurring explosions in the area, which are hampering response efforts.”

The state-run news agency, SANA, reported four people killed and 116 injured, citing health officials, without giving further details.

Syria is struggling to recover from a nearly 14-year civil war that ended with the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive. During the war, which killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of of 23 million, Idlib was an opposition-held enclave.

The country’s current interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa formerly led Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, an insurgent group based in Idlib that spearheaded the offensive that unseated Assad.