BERLIN

Germany's human rights commissioner on Tuesday defended the government's decision not to impose sanctions on Israel over its Gaza campaign, and noted that Berlin prefers diplomatic engagement over punitive measures.

“The German government has clearly changed its tone in view of Israel's conduct of the war. But it is still trying to build bridges instead of hardening the fronts even further by prematurely recognizing Palestine as a state or imposing sanctions,” Lars Castellucci told German media outlet RND.

The Social Democrat politician criticized Israel's restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza and military operations that have resulted in significant civilian casualties, but refrained from advocating punitive measures, arguing that Germany bears a historic responsibility for Israel due to its Nazi past.

"As friends of Israel, we remain steadfast in our belief that this state has a right to exist and that it must not be completely isolated. We cannot allow a situation where Israel's opponents suddenly gain the upper hand," he said.

Castellucci stated that the German government will continue its diplomatic efforts, as Israel's ally, to "bring about a rethink" in the Israeli government and encourage policy changes regarding Gaza.

"We are making it clear to the Israeli government that significant improvements must be made quickly so that aid reaches the people of Gaza," he said. "Simply allowing more trucks to enter the territory is not enough. Safe distribution must also be ensured," he added.

Germany's conservative-left coalition government has faced mounting public pressure in recent weeks to take a firmer stance against Israel's Netanyahu government, as reports and footage from Gaza have documented tens of thousands of Palestinians facing imminent death from starvation amid Israel's deliberate starvation campaign -- a tactic widely condemned by international human rights organizations as a war crime.

In a representative Forsa poll released last week, 74% of Germans expressed concern over Israel's military campaign in Gaza, stating that Germany should exert more pressure on the Netanyahu government, given the devastating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 61,000 Palestinians, almost half of them women and children. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 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 for its war on the enclave.