German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock again urged Israel to act prudently and responsibly in response to Iranian attacks following meetings with top Israeli officials on Wednesday.
"I'm not talking about backing down here. I am talking about prudent restraint, which is nothing less than strength," she said at Tel Aviv airport on Wednesday following meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
Iran's dangerous actions would not go unpunished, Baerbock said. She noted that the European Union had already imposed massive sanctions on Tehran and would continue to do so.
She also said that Israel had shown strength with its "defensive victory" after its air defences managed to successfully shoot down Iranian missiles and drones, making it clear to Tehran "how badly Iran has miscalculated and is isolated in the region."
The desire of other countries in the region for peace is "one of the strongest weapons against Iran," Baerbock said.
"Iran, which is supposedly concerned with the Palestinian cause, has made it abundantly clear that it is completely indifferent to the suffering of the people in Gaza," said Baerbock. "We will not allow the eyes of the international community to be turned away from the people in Gaza and the situation of the hostages in this tense situation."
Baerbock said several German citizens are among those still being held hostage by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, including a one-year-old baby.
She accused Yehya al-Sinwar, a leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, of playing a cynical game with the hostages and his own people.
