Berlin, MINA – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued strong criticism of Israel on Monday, accusing the Israeli military of violating international humanitarian law in its ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reported.
Speaking at the WDR European Forum in Berlin, Merz condemned the rising number of civilian casualties and pledged to raise the issue directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week.
“What the Israeli army is doing now in the Gaza Strip, harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism,” Merz said.
The chancellor acknowledged Germany’s historical reluctance to publicly criticize Israel, but said that stance was no longer tenable in the face of recent developments.
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“When boundaries are crossed, where international humanitarian law is truly violated, Germany and the German chancellor must also say something about it,” he emphasized.
Merz particularly condemned the recent Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza that killed at least 25 people and wounded many others. He referred to the attack as both a “human tragedy and a political catastrophe,” noting that it included the bombing of a kindergarten.
He confirmed that the German government is in direct communication with Israeli officials to express their concerns over the conduct of the military operation in Gaza. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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