During her visit to Israel, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) called for an end to the Gaza war. The ceasefire plan presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of May shows a “clear path to this goal,” Baerbock said on Monday at a security conference in the city of Herzliya.
The proposal could enable a ceasefire and the release of Hamas hostages and lead to “lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians,” Baerbock said in her speech delivered in English. “We urge Hamas to accept this plan.” The radical Islamic terrorist organization started this war. “And it must end this horror,” stressed the Foreign Minister.
She is aware that the proposals presented by Biden are not supported by everyone in Israel. “Some are calling for the continuation of Israeli control over the Gaza Strip and a war that will last indefinitely,” said Baerbock.
“I would like to ask in all sincerity: How would an endless war improve the security of families who want to return to their homes in Sderot, in Kiryat Shmona? How would it end the suffering of the hostages’ families? And how would more suffering in Gaza bring more security for Israel?”
Israel has achieved “real successes” in its efforts to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, Baerbock stressed. It is also crucial that Israel’s Arab neighbors have come together to think about ways to create security for both Israel and the Palestinians. “We should build on that,” added the Green politician.
On Tuesday, Baerbock will meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Jerusalem. A meeting with the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in Ramallah is also planned. Baerbock will then travel on to Lebanon, according to her own statements.
The minister described the increasing tensions on the border between Israel and Lebanon as “more than worrying” on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. Baerbock was most recently in the Middle East at the end of April, where she met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others.
The war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas was triggered on October 7 by the Palestinian organization’s unprecedented large-scale attack on Israel. At that time, according to Israeli sources, Islamist fighters killed 1,194 people and abducted 251 people as hostages in the Gaza Strip, of whom 116 are still in the Palestinian territory. According to the Israeli army, 41 of them are already dead.