The new German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, departed for Israel on Saturday for a Middle East trip in which "critical discussions" are expected, he said when leaving Berlin.
Newly appointed German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Reuters/Abdul Saboor
The new German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, departed for Israel on Saturday for a Middle East trip in which "critical discussions" are expected, he said when leaving Berlin.
"In both of our democracies, critical discussions about the policies of one's own government and friendly nations are part of this," Wadephul said on Saturday.
Wadephul condemned the Hamas' attacks "in the strongest terms" and called for the liberation of all hostages.
Hamas' attacks on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run health authorities.
"I will ask about the strategic objective of the fighting, which has intensified again since March," Wadephul said.
According to a Foreign Office spokesperson, Wadephul will meet Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Wadephul will also visit the Yad Vashem memorial and talk to the relatives of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
In Ramallah, the minister will meet with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammed Mustafa.
Reporting by Alex Ratz
The global narrative surrounding the Middle East often centers on one storyline, but rarely acknowledges another equally important and long-overlooked chapter. It is the untold story of nearly 850,000 Jews who were expelled or forced to flee from Arab and Muslim-majority countries in the mid-20th century.
Israel put a planned strike on a village in southern Lebanon on hold on Saturday after the Lebanese army requested access to the site to "address a breach" of a ceasefire agreement, an Israeli military spokesperson said.
The Israeli military said it killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed, one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, in a strike on a car in Gaza City on Saturday.
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