Ensuring Supply in Gaza Is Mandatory for the Israeli Government, According to Federal Authorities
The German government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU party, has expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and is calling for increased pressure on Israel due to the ongoing situation.
Norbert Röttgen, the CDU's foreign policy expert, has advocated for EU sanctions given the current state of affairs in the Gaza Strip. Chancellor Merz has also stated that the federal government is reserving the right to take steps to increase pressure on Israel due to the humanitarian situation.
Proposals for increased pressure on Israel range from stopping arms deliveries to imposing sanctions on individual Israeli ministers to suspending the EU Association Agreement with Israel. The German government, however, has not agreed to the EU Commission's proposal to suspend Israel's participation in the Horizon Europe research funding program yet.
Amid reports suggesting that aid goods intended for Gaza's population are not being fully delivered or are potentially controlled by Hamas, the German government is worried that a significant portion—between 50% and 100%—of humanitarian aid sent to the Gaza Strip may be withheld or diverted by the organisation. This concern arises amid reports that large quantities of aid goods are being withheld by Hamas and criminal organisations.
The German government is not satisfied with the current level of aid entering Gaza, despite some limited progress in delivery. Germany has urged Israel to ensure full humanitarian aid delivery but remains troubled that the situation on the ground is severely restricting effective aid distribution.
In a bid to alleviate the crisis, the Bundeswehr has begun dropping aid goods from the air over the Gaza Strip in cooperation with Jordan and other states. The Bundeswehr dropped additional aid goods, including 22 pallets of food and medical supplies with a total weight of 9.6 tons. If possible, aid flights will continue tomorrow.
Further airdrops of aid are taking place, with around 220 trucks with aid goods entering the Gaza Strip daily via land. Israel is allowing more than 200 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip.
Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul of the CDU has returned from a trip to Israel and the West Bank, while the Security Cabinet held a meeting on Monday to discuss the situation in the Middle East. Stefan Kornelius, the government spokesman, made this statement after a meeting of the Security Cabinet.
Katharina Dröge, the Green Party's co-faction leader, has called for a halt to weapons exports to Israel that can be used in Gaza. The German government's concerns and calls for action highlight the urgency for secure and transparent aid channels to ensure that critical relief supplies reach the civilian population in need.
The German government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU party, has expressed concerns that extend beyond the Middle East, as Norbert Röttgen, the CDU's foreign policy expert, has advocated for EU sanctions in the context of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Amidst this, and considering the ongoing political debates, the Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, a concern that touches broader general-news frontiers.
