Germany, France and Britain are considering sending their foreign ministers to Israel next week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday, as international pressure mounts over Gaza's dire humanitarian crisis.
"We will probably ask the three foreign ministers of France, the United Kingdom and Germany to travel to Israel together next Thursday to present the position of... the three governments," Merz told a press conference in Berlin alongside Jordan's King Abdullah II.
Amid warnings that starvation is spreading in the Gaza Strip after nearly 22 months of war, the three European countries have stepped up their calls for Israel to urgently allow more aid into the Palestinian territory, where it is fighting to crush the Islamist militant group Hamas.
Last week the three countries released a joint statement urging an end to the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza.
"We assume that the Israeli government is willing to acknowledge that something must be done now," said Merz Tuesday.
Germany has traditionally been one of Israel's staunchest supporters but Merz has increasingly voiced criticism of its offensive in Gaza.
He announced late Monday that Germany would work with Jordan to airlift humanitarian aid into the territory.
On Tuesday, he said two German air transport aircraft were already en route to Jordan and would start air-dropping aid into Gaza "from the weekend at the latest, possibly even tomorrow".
King Abdullah II added that, while he was grateful for such moves, airdrops were just a "drop in the ocean", and called for more trucks transporting supplies to be allowed into Gaza.
Israel imposed a total blockade of aid on Gaza from March to May.
Facing international pressure, Israel this week launched a daily pause in fighting and opened secure routes to enable UN and non-governmental agencies to distribute food on Gaza's devastated streets. Hundreds of truckloads of aid have begun to arrive.
Israel's devasting offensive in Gaza began after Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
with AFP
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