BERLIN

The German and Austrian foreign ministers on Thursday urged their Israeli counterpart to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and expressed hope that successful ceasefire talks could improve the situation in the region.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Vienna following their trilateral meeting, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said both Austria and Germany stand in solidarity with Israel, but also reminded it of its humanitarian obligations and the need for a diplomatic solution to the current conflict.

“Austria, like Germany, stands firmly by Israel's side. But it is also clear that for us, humanity and obligations under international law are non-negotiable,” Meinl-Reisinger stressed.

“In our view, there can be no lasting peace without political prospects for Palestinians, without a perspective for the Palestinian people. Therefore, the long-term goal must be a two-state solution,” she added.

Meinl-Reisinger also expressed concern about reports that the Israeli government was collaborating with the US administration on plans to relocate Palestinians from Gaza and permanently occupy the Palestinian territory.

“From Austria’s perspective, Gaza must remain Palestinian. Israel is bound by international law in its legitimate fight against terrorism, our aim is now to fully return to negotiations, to a ceasefire, to the release of the hostages, of course to an improvement in the humanitarian situation, which must happen immediately,” the minister said.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul echoed his Austrian counterpart's remarks, emphasizing that while Israel's security remains "non-negotiable," they also expect the Israeli government to take immediate steps to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

“We are all deeply concerned about the hunger and deaths in Gaza. People being killed in desperate attempts to access aid. Children dying of hunger. This concerns us all,” Wadephul said, emphasizing that humanitarian organizations unanimously warn that current aid deliveries fall significantly short of meeting essential needs.

“The humanitarian situation must be urgently and quickly improved for these starving and dying people,” the German minister said.

He expressed hope that the situation would improve after the EU and Israeli government agreed on measures to ease Gaza's humanitarian crisis, following diplomatic talks led by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

Since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in 2023, more than 57,700 Palestinians have been killed, and over 100,000 others wounded, most of them women and children.

Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza, where at least 1.9 million Palestinians remain displaced and face severe shortages of food, medical supplies, and other essentials.