RAMALLAH, Palestine/ISTANBUL 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to review the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and a surge in attacks by illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

‏Speaking at the presidential compound in Ramallah, Abbas described Gaza as facing “a deliberate policy of starvation,” urging an immediate and lasting ceasefire.

He called for the swift delivery of humanitarian aid to prevent famine, the release of detainees on both sides, and the transfer of full responsibility for Gaza to the Palestinian Authority with Arab and international backing after a complete Israeli withdrawal.

‏The Palestinian leader also demanded an end to the construction of illegal Israeli settlements and annexation efforts in the West Bank, as well as the release of Palestinian tax revenues frozen by Tel Aviv.

He reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution in line with international law and the Arab Peace Initiative, highlighting outcomes of the recent peace conference in New York.

‏Abbas said he is prepared to hold national elections but excluded groups and individuals “who reject the PLO’s commitments, international legitimacy, the principle of one state, one law, and one legitimate weapon.”

‏“We want a demilitarized State of Palestine, including the Gaza Strip,” he said.

‏Wadephul, for his part, underscored that the Palestinian Authority must govern Gaza once the war ends, calling it “the only legitimate representative of the Palestinians.”

He pledged German support for reconstruction efforts and urged Israel to release the withheld Palestinian revenues, warning that “blocking these funds threatens stability.”

‏Earlier in the day, the German foreign minister visited the occupied West Bank town of Taybeh, where he observed damage from repeated settler attacks.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, at least 1,011 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal. It demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.