LONDON

The German foreign minister on Monday expressed his "greatest concern" about the "catastrophic" humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, urging Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid in line with obligations.

In a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Johann Wadephul said that he expressed his "greatest concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation," especially in light of the expansion of the Israeli offensive in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

"We urgently call on Israel to implement the agreements with the EU to facilitate humanitarian aid," Wadephul wrote in a post on X following the conversation.

Also speaking about the situation in Syria, the top German diplomat said that the ceasefire must now be stabilized to prevent unrest from spreading to neighboring countries.

"The cycle of violence and counter-violence must be broken," he added.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza. The relentless bombing has destroyed the enclave, nearly collapsed its health system, and created famine-like conditions.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.