Baerbock Appeals to Israel: Calls for a Renunciation of Ground Offensive in Gaza

In an urgent appeal, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on the Israeli government to refrain from a planned ground offensive against Hamas positions in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. She articulated her cautionary words during a meeting with her Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, highlighting the critical humanitarian situation in the region and making it clear that people in Gaza cannot simply 'disappear'. Upcoming talks in Israel could now take place in a tense atmosphere in light of Baerbock's warning. Her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Jerusalem is overshadowed by her statements on the social media platform X, where she called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that should lead to a lasting armistice. In response, Katz emphasized the desire for support from allies and simultaneously made the release of Israeli hostages a precondition for a ceasefire. A joint effort to improve the humanitarian situation remains necessary. Meanwhile, the population in Gaza is under immense pressure. In Rafah, about 1.5 million people are seeking shelter from the conflicts; however, the provision of supplies on site is hampered by the closed land routes. The German Foreign Minister, therefore, demanded that Israel take responsibility and ensure access to essential goods such as food and water to avoid exacerbating conditions in Gaza and promoting terrorism. In the context of the ongoing hostage situation, where currently over 130 people are being held, including possibly still-living Germans, Baerbock emphasized the humanitarian imperative: politics must not exploit the suffering of the affected on both sides. Instead, she called for an end to the tragedy for Gaza's residents and the threat posed by Hamas. The minister's journey also took her to the Palestinian territories, where discussions with President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Riad Malki were on the agenda. The necessity of a hostage agreement was also discussed, which, according to media reports, should have led Hamas to a conclusion in February to avoid further suffering. Furthermore, Baerbock stressed the importance of a long-term political solution, which should ultimately result in a two-state solution—an approach rejected by both Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas.