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Slovenia on Thursday called for an international peace conference to advance the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as the Gaza war approaches its first anniversary. “Past peace processes have not yielded the results we want to see,” Slovenia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon warned at the UN Security Council in New York.
She said an “inclusive, meaningful and time-bound” peace process was needed, coupled with reconstruction efforts, and called for the swift convening of a conference to advance the two-state solution. Ms Fajon warned of the growing potential for the conflict to spread, as fears mount that 11 months of tit-for-tat attacks between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel could escalate into full-scale war. “The latest escalation in Lebanon is another sign of it,” she said.
In recent weeks, Israeli leaders have stepped up warnings of a potential larger military operation against Hezbollah, saying they are determined to stop the group and allow tens of thousands of Israelis to return to their homes near the border.
A series of attacks this week that involved the detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies targeted Hezbollah members. At least 37 people were killed, including two children, and about 3,000 wounded. The attacks have been blamed on Israel.
Israel’s representative to the UN, Danny Danon, accused Iran of transforming the region into “its railway of terror”. He called for the global designation of Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organisations and for sanctions to be “intensified until the capacity to support terror is completely diminished”.
Mr Danon also said Israel will use “all the force necessary” to protect its people. “We will dismantle every terrorist network, uproot every Iranian proxy and strike down those who seek to harm us.”
In a speech on Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah promised to retaliate for the deadly attacks after Israel's Defence Minister announced a “new phase” of the war.
The US deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said a broader regional conflict was not in anyone's interest. “We all know the ceasefire deal is the best chance to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to address regional stability,” he said.
