Merz 'running out of patience': Israel's approach to Gaza is no longer acceptable

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took the unusual step of criticizing Israel at his annual press conference before the summer break. Merz said Israel's approach to Gaza was "no longer acceptable."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for an immediate ceasefire in the besieged enclave as the death toll there surpassed 58,000 this week.

Merz also called for more humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, which has been severely hampered by Israel's decision to pull all international aid programs out of the Gaza Strip and allow only the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The GHF is a highly controversial, US-run, Israeli-backed organization that critics have called a cynical death trap for desperate Gazans trying to find food for their families.

Chancellor Merz said he is in regular contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has offered to increase German aid to the Gaza Strip.

Germany: Strong Supporter of Israel
Chancellor Merz also noted that his government "does not support" Israel's settlement policy, adding that he had made this clear in his phone calls with Netanyahu.

“It is clear where we stand. We are doing everything we can to be fair to both sides [Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza],” Merz said, noting that “the state of Israel would cease to exist” if it were not defended. At the same time, Merz said: “We see the suffering of the Palestinian people and we are also trying to do everything we can to provide humanitarian aid.”
Because of what it calls a historical responsibility to the state of Israel, Germany has been one of Israel’s strongest supporters during the war in Gaza, providing considerable diplomatic and military support.

Chancellor Merz rejected calls to suspend the EU's association agreements with Israel, and firmly rejected any equivalence between Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's approach to Gaza, stating that Russia had launched a war of aggression, while Israel is defending itself against Hamas./DW

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