German foreign minister criticizes Israel’s Gaza offensive plans
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul spoke out on Monday against the Israeli government’s planned military offensive into the city of Gaza, where large numbers of civilians are currently sheltering.
“Our credibility as a global European actor depends on consistency – in defending international law, opposing terror and protecting civilian lives,” Wadephul told the Croatian Ambassadors’ Conference in Zagreb.
“In our view, the decision by the Israeli Cabinet to take over Gaza City and intensify ground operations does not promote either of those goals,” the minister said.
According to estimates, around 1 million people are crowded into the coastal city, which Israel plans to evacuate before the offensive.
Some families already fled to Khan Younis or Rafah in the south, where they report overcrowded camps without adequate supplies. Many remain in the city, considering no place to be safe in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas is thought to also still be holding hostages in the city, although it remains unclear how much of its underground tunnel system still exists.
Israel claims to have destroyed large parts of the network through bombings.
