German Foreign Minister
Johann Wadephul on Sunday described the humanitarian situation in
Gaza as "unbearable."
"On the one hand, we stand by the state of Israel, we are responsible for it, and on the other hand, of course, we stand by the fundamental value of humanity and recognize the suffering of these people," Wadephul told German public broadcaster ARD.
"That's why it's absolutely clear - and I discussed this again today with my Israeli colleague Mr [Gideon] Saar: There must be a delivery, a quick, effective delivery of relief supplies."
Israel recently blockaded Gaza for weeks, causing international alarm amid warnings that the 2 million Palestinians living in the territory face starvation.
Wadephul, who took office under Chancellor Friedrich Merz's administration this month, said that he has been talking to Saar almost every day since his visit to Israel a fortnight ago.
"Germany will, of course, align its entire policy concerning this region and Israel with the principles of humanity and the fate of the Palestinians," said the minister.
However, this is an "extraordinarily difficult situation for us," he admitted.
Wadephul's comments were echoed by his conservative colleague Armin Laschet, who called Israel's behaviour a breach of international human rights law.
"Withholding food deliveries, aid deliveries, medicine deliveries for the population is not fighting Hamas," Laschet told broadcaster ZDF. "Starving people to death is contrary to international law," he added.
Laschet, who ran for chancellor in 2021, is the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament.
