Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar issued a strong appeal in response to the developments in the Middle East on 15 November, underscoring that killing civilians, including children is a crime. "Failing to act makes us complicit in the deaths of children in Gaza," she said.

She stressed immediate help must be provided and urged both sides, Israel and the Palestinian extremist movement Hamas, to take a good look at themselves. Pirc Musar said that children dying in wars is an unspeakable tragedy that must end.

"Killing civilians, including children, the most helpless and vulnerable among us, is ... a heinous act. It is no longer just the responsibility of the individual country; it is becoming our shared responsibility. Such attacks are an assault on our basic common humanity and are a concern for all of us," the president was quoted as saying by her office.

"The International Criminal Court has clear levers to act in cases of the recruitment of children into armed forces or in cases of crimes specifically targeting children," Pirc Musar pointed out, adding that this is the case in Gaza, where over half of the population is under 18.

She welcomed the court's chief prosecutor Karim Khan launching an investigation into potential crimes committed in Gaza and expressed support for his work, saying that the collection and preservation of evidence will be vital in the investigation.

The president said violently asserting one's right at the expense of the lives of innocent people, even newborn and premature babies, is incomprehensible.

"I join the secretary-general of the United Nations in calling on both parties to immediately cease attacks against the civilian population and children of Gaza," she said, adding that even wars have rules that apply to everyone.