Status: 11.11.2023, 17:20 PM
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Annalena Baerbock (Alliance 90/The Greens), Foreign Minister of Germany, speaks with Mohammed Shtaje, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. © Michael Kappeler/dpa
For the third time after the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas, Foreign Minister Baerbock visited Israel. This time, she is also traveling to the Palestinian territories. It's supposed to be a sign.
Tel Aviv/Ramallah - Germany is increasing its humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territories by a further 38 million euros in view of the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. This was announced by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock after talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtaye in Ramallah in the West Bank.
This means that Germany will provide more than 160 million euros for the Palestinian territories in the current year. At the same time, the Green politician warned against the violence spilling over into the West Bank.
"The future of the Palestinians must be better than their present and past," Baerbock said. It is also in Israel's interest that the Palestinians should be able to determine their own future in their own state. "It is so central to this that the West Bank is not also affected by violence and destruction." The Federal Foreign Minister stressed: "There will be no peace with terror and violence."
Baerbock said she would underline to her Israeli interlocutors "that funds that belong to the Palestinian Authority must also be made available to it in full." "It is precisely because we care so much about Israel's security that we need to strengthen those actors and institutions such as the Palestinian Authority at this very moment, (...) because it is needed for the realization of an independent Palestinian state."
A first important step for the people in Gaza is the humanitarian pauses, Baerbock said. "These need to be further expanded." Hospitals in the north of the Gaza Strip must also have security of supply. In addition, there is a need for more humanitarian access. "What we have now is nowhere near enough." With the European airlift, 372 tons of relief supplies have already been delivered. "But we see that this is not enough."
Baerbock condemns settler violence
She strongly condemns the increasing violence by radical Israeli settlers, Baerbock said. Criminal and violent acts against the Palestinian population in the West Bank must be stopped and prosecuted. "Israel has a central responsibility here for the protection of the Palestinian civilian population. Because settler violence also harms Israel's security."
The situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly since the beginning of the war. More than 175 Palestinians were killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Since then, the Israeli army has reportedly detained 1540,930 suspects in raids, <> of them suspected of being linked to Hamas. There are also more reports of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Meeting with representatives of Israel
In the evening (local time), Baerbock wanted to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and opposition leader Yair Lapid in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv. He was also scheduled to meet opposition politician Benny Gantz, who is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet.
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Baerbock once again calls for humanitarian ceasefires
In the morning, Baerbock had again called for humanitarian ceasefires to supply the suffering population in the Gaza Strip during talks in Saudi Arabia. At the meetings with representatives of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, there was agreement "that humanitarian ceasefires are needed, which also allow the supply of humanitarian aid," delegation circles said afterwards.
It was also agreed that there could only be peace for Palestinians and Israelis with the prospect of a two-state solution. The central point of the talks was the efforts to secure the release of the hostages, in which Qatar plays a very important role.
Meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister and Saudi Foreign Minister
In the Saudi capital Riyadh, Baerbock spoke with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. He was in the city parallel to the Green politician's visit to a meeting of Arab and other Islamic states on the Gaza war. She then met Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Emirates are seen as important intermediaries
Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, like Qatar, are seen as influential potential mediators, for example when it comes to freeing Hamas hostages and finding a future peace solution. The Islamist Hamas had not only killed hundreds of people in its attack on Israel, but also taken about 240 hostages. According to the families, about 20 of the deportees also have a German passport. dpa