Israel is at risk of becoming isolated, Germany has duty to prevent it: Foreign minister
Johann Wadephul describes situation in Gaza as 'humanitarian catastrophe that exceeds all imagining'
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul
BRUSSELS
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday that Israel faces growing international isolation and emphasized that Berlin has a duty to prevent it from happening, according to media reports.
The Stern magazine said he referred to discussions in the EU about sanctions against Israel and the growing willingness of states to recognize a Palestinian state.
"Israel is in danger of becoming increasingly isolated internationally. I see it as Germany's duty to do everything possible to prevent that,” he said.
Addressing the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Wadephul described the conditions as "completely intolerable" and stressed the urgent need for change. "A fundamental improvement for the people of the Gaza Strip is needed," he said.
He said Israel has a responsibility to ensure "quick, safe, and sufficient humanitarian and medical aid to be delivered by land so that mass deaths in the context of a famine can be averted."
Wadephul made the remarks during a two-day visit to Israel, which also includes a stop in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
On Thursday evening, he met his Israeli counterpart. Gideon Saar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
"We also need clarity from Israel that it is not pursuing a policy of expulsion or a policy of active annexation," Wadephul told reporters in Jerusalem, German daily Bild reported.
He described the situation in the Gaza Strip as a "humanitarian catastrophe that exceeds all imagining."
The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,200 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.
On Monday, Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s health care system.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli 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.
