Slovenia was the first European Union country to ban two Israeli government ministers from entering the country — National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
This was reported by the Slovenian government.
They explained that both officials publicly called for violence against Palestinians, supported the forced eviction of people from the West Bank, and promoted the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements.
Ljubljana stated that the ministersʼ actions and statements contradict the decision of the UN International Court of Justice, which in July 2024 recognized Israeli policy in the occupied territories as illegal.
Prior to this, sanctions against Ben-Gvir and Smotrych had already been imposed by the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway.
What is happening in the Gaza Strip?
Active hostilities between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
In mid-January 2025, Israel and Hamas reached agreements on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
However, on the night of March 18, Israel resumed hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Israel blamed Hamas for the resumption of hostilities, claiming that the militants had rejected all proposals to extend the ceasefire. Therefore, any further negotiations with Hamas, if any, will be conducted only “under fire” — that is, Israel refuses to accept a ceasefire as a condition for starting new negotiations.
Already on May 18, the Israel Defense Forces began "large-scale" ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
In late May, the US proposed a 60-day ceasefire plan in the Gaza Strip. It includes the release of 28 Israeli hostages — both dead and alive — in exchange for the release of 1 236 Palestinian prisoners and the return of the remains of 180 Palestinians killed.
However, the parties never reached an agreement. On July 2, Donald Trump again announced that Israel had agreed to the terms of a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. The WSJ, citing sources, wrote on July 5 that Hamas had agreed to the main proposals of the agreement. Negotiations are ongoing.
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