Schulz (right) during a joint press conference today, Sunday, with Netanyahu in occupied Jerusalem (French)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday renewed his support for Israel, saying during his visit to Tel Aviv that “Israel has the right to defend itself against the terrorism” of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Schulz said - in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the occupied city of Jerusalem - that "the longer the war goes on, the more the number of civilian deaths increases and the situation in Gaza becomes unfortunate and catastrophic," referring to the catastrophe of hunger experienced by more than two million besieged in the Strip.
The German Chancellor added, "We need to increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and terrorism cannot be defeated through military means alone."
Schulz stressed the need to think about the humanitarian aspect before any military operation in Rafah, stressing that peace for Israel is achieved with the Palestinians, which must be based on the two-state solution.
In this context, the German Chancellor expressed the need for a solution that guarantees sustainable peace through positive prospects on the Palestinian and Israeli sides, and called for restructuring the Palestinian Authority and working to reform it.
The day before yesterday, Friday, Netanyahu's office announced its approval of the plans for the possible military operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, despite mounting international warnings against the move.
Schulz arrived in Israel on Sunday from Jordan after meeting with King Abdullah II, where they discussed the "dangerous developments" in Gaza, according to a statement from the Jordanian Royal Court.
Since last October 7, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip that has left tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction, which led to Tel Aviv appearing before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide for the first time. Since its establishment.
Source: Agencies