BELGRADE, Serbia

Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said on Thursday that the government took a decisive and irreversible step in the process of recognizing Palestine.

''With this, Slovenia sends a clear message about the necessity of establishing peace in the Middle East and a two-state solution to Israel and Palestine. I really want the proceedings to be completed as soon as possible,'' Fajon told the media.

The government has initiated the process of recognizing Palestine and will submit the decision to the State Assembly (Parliament) within a month, she said, adding, "This is the first, irreversible step."

Separately, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said, in response to the recognition of Palestine, that the crimes in Gaza must end and Israel must immediately cease attacks on Gaza.

Meanwhile, students of the University of Ljubljana in the Slovenian capital on Thursday joined global protests against Israeli’s ongoing attacks on Gaza.

On Monday, Israeli forces issued evacuation orders for Palestinians in eastern Rafah, a move widely seen as a prelude to Israel's long-feared attack on the city, home to some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.

Nearly 34,800 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip since last October, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Israel also stands accused of genocide in an ongoing case at the International Court of Justice.

An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians there.