German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned Israel it faces international isolation if humanitarian conditions in Gaza do not improve, after talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem.
“In many respects, the Middle East peace process and ultimately the entire region are at a crossroads,” Wadephul said on Thursday, addressing discussions in the European Union about sanctions against Israel and the increasing willingness to recognize a Palestinian state.
“Israel runs the risk of becoming increasingly isolated internationally,” said Wadephul. “I see it as Germany’s task to do everything it can to prevent this.”
The minister held meetings in Jerusalem with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
With regard to the starving population in the Gaza Strip, Wadephul said: “This is a completely unacceptable situation that must change immediately.” What is needed is a “fundamental improvement for the people in the Gaza Strip,” he argued.
Wadephul also called for a ceasefire, arguing that daily pauses in fighting are not enough.
“It is time to end this war,” he said, stating that his calls were primarily directed at the Palestinian militant group Hamas. It must recognize “that now is the time to release the hostages.”
The foreign minister, who took office in May, is set to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Friday to discuss increasing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Earlier, Wadephul called on Israel to enable safe land access to the war-torn Gaza Strip, saying it is the only way to alleviate the population’s “unimaginable” suffering.
“Only by land can sufficient quantities of aid reach the people,” he said.
“I therefore urge the Israeli government to allow the UN and international aid organizations safe access and, above all, safe and effective distribution.”
Wadephul arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday afternoon and travelled on to Jerusalem.
Wadephul says death in Gaza has ‘reached unimaginable proportions’
Before his departure, Wadephul emphasized that Israel must “immediately, comprehensively and sustainably remedy the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip,” where he said the death and suffering had “reached unimaginable proportions.”
He stressed that Germany would continue to stand by Israel’s side to ensure that Hamas finally released the remaining hostages, which include German nationals.
The Palestinian Islamist militia must disarm and no longer wield any political influence in the Palestinian territories, he said.
“It must never again pose a threat to Israel,” he said.
At the same time, the minister warned Israel against further escalating the situation, saying: “Germany will also be forced to respond to unilateral steps.”
No recognition of Palestinian state for now
Wadephul reiterated that Germany is not currently considering recognizing a Palestinian state and that a negotiated two-state solution remains the only way to enable people on both sides to live in peace, security and dignity.
For Germany, he said, the recognition of Palestine is more likely to come at the end of this process.
Berlin cautiously mulling sanctions
According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the course of the talks may influence whether Germany agrees to sanctions against its close partner Israel.
While Germany, unlike other countries, has so far appeared reluctant to impose sanctions on its close ally, Merz has said the German government reserves the right to take such steps.
The European Commission has recommended that Israel’s participation in the Horizon Europe research funding programme be partially suspended immediately. Whether Germany supports such a measure remains to be seen.
Merz under pressure at home
Before Wadephul departed for Tel Aviv, Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) – the junior partner in Merz’s coalition – urged the government to apply more pressure on the Israeli government to allow aid to reach desperate Palestinians via land routes.
The party’s deputy parliamentary group leader, Siemtje Möller, told broadcaster ARD on Thursday that there had to be “real pressure” to end the suffering in Gaza.
Möller, who is part of the delegation travelling with Wadephul to the region, also reiterated the SPD’s position that the delivery of weapons for actions contrary to international law, such as those in the Gaza Strip, should no longer be authorized.
The co-chair of the opposition Green Party, Franziska Brantner, also said she wanted Wadephul to push “with all his might” for humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, the release of the hostages, and a political process to end the war.
Germany’s position on the issue – as a strong supporter of Israel – was blocking European action, Brantner told German radio.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul makes a statement at the end of his first day on the trip to Israel. Soeren Stache/dpa