The German government said Saturday that the “limited initial progress” in delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip remains “highly insufficient,” though it has not proposed any sanctions against Israel despite increasingly stern rhetoric.
Following a visit by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to the region on Thursday and Friday, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius stated that Berlin “notes limited initial progress in humanitarian aid deliveries for the population of Gaza, but they remain far from sufficient to ease the emergency situation.”
“Israel remains obligated to ensure full delivery of aid,” Kornelius emphasized.
At the same time, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government voiced concern over reports that large quantities of humanitarian assistance are being seized by Hamas and criminal groups.
According to a government source speaking to AFP, Berlin is torn between acknowledging that the number of aid deliveries authorized by Israel “has significantly increased”—with about 220 trucks reaching Gaza daily—and fears that “between 50 and 100 percent of those shipments” may be diverted for military use by Israel’s enemies.
A longtime supporter of Israel due to its historical responsibility for the Holocaust, Berlin has nonetheless grown increasingly critical of the war in Gaza and the situation in the occupied West Bank.
At a German security cabinet meeting on Saturday, “various known pressure options [on Israel] were discussed, though no decision was made,” the same source said.
Among the options reportedly under consideration is a partial halt to arms deliveries to Israel, which has drawn criticism within Germany.
On Friday, the German army, like other countries earlier in the week, began air-dropping aid over the Gaza Strip, with nearly 14 tons of food and medical supplies delivered in the first two flights.
International agencies continue to deem the aid inadequate. According to the UN, some 6,000 trucks are waiting for Israeli approval to enter Gaza.
After nearly 22 months of a devastating war triggered by a deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the blockaded Gaza Strip is, according to the UN, on the brink of a “full-blown famine” and remains entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.
AFP
Comments