Germany reiterates opposition to Israeli plans for permanent occupation of Gaza

BERLIN

Germany on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to Israeli plans for a permanent occupation of Gaza, saying the war-ravaged enclave belongs to Palestinians.

The government has a position on this issue “which the minister (Johann Wadephul) also emphasized during his Middle East trip: The Gaza Strip is, of course, part of the Palestinian territories,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Christian Wagner told a press briefing in Berlin.

While Israel has a right to self-defense in Gaza, “we reject a permanent occupation, which is also the G-7 position,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that his army will take over “all of Gaza,” admitting that mounting pressure has forced Israel to resume humanitarian aid into the blockaded Palestinian territory.

Israel “is going to take over all of Gaza, that’s what we are going to do,” Netanyahu said in a video message on his X account.

Netanyahu admitted that pressure on Israel was “approaching a red line,” forcing Israel to resume aid deliveries to Gaza.

Israel has kept all crossings into Gaza closed to food, medical, and humanitarian aid since March 2, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Overall, it has killed more than 53,000 people in the blockaded enclave since October 2023