German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has demanded that Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas make concessions in ongoing negotiations in Qatar in the Gaza war and agree to an immediate ceasefire.
"Only an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that leads to a permanent ceasefire will keep the hope for peace alive - for Palestinians and Israelis alike," Baerbock said on Sunday.
She is scheduled to depart for the Middle East on Monday and Tuesday for crisis diplomacy talks in Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
It will be her sixth visit to Israel since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, which left about 1,200 people dead.
Baerbock said the deaths of the people in Gaza and the suffering of the more than 100 hostages still being held captive in Gaza are intertwined. "The suffering must end for everyone."
Negotiations in Doha, the capital of the Gulf emirate of Qatar, must now finally lead to success, Baerbock said. An Israeli delegation sought talks at the weekend aimed at a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages, in light of disagreements between Israel and its ally, the United States, over the direction of the war in Gaza.
Baerbock also said that Israel must "finally open the border crossings to allow much more aid" to reach Gaza, where the humanitarian situation has become desperate. Airdrops or sea bridges for aid were not a sustainable solution, she said.
Nonetheless, Baerbock stressed that Germany "stands by our responsibility for Israel's security" and demanded that Hamas lay down its weapons and disavow future terrorist attacks against Israel.
"But this goal cannot be achieved purely militarily. And military action has its limits in international humanitarian law," Baerbock warned the Israeli government.
On Monday, Baerbock is scheduled to meet Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo. She is then scheduled to fly on to Israel.
In the evening, she is expected to visit the Israeli-occupied West Bank and meet the leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah. PA Foreign Minister Riad Malki is also expected to join.
A meeting between Baerbock and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz is scheduled for Tuesday.
