German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is travelling to Tel Aviv on Monday in view of growing concerns about an escalation in the conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia.
The Green politician is scheduled to give a speech on Monday evening at the Herzliya Conference organized by the Institute for Policy and Strategy (IPS) and Reichman University.
It will be Baerbock's eighth visit to Israel since the October 7 attacks on the country by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement and Israel's ensuing war in Gaza.
On Monday, Baerbock is due to first take part in the regular meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The meeting is expected to focus on joint support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia and the situation in the Middle East.
According to a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in Berlin, Baerbock's talks in Israel and the Palestinian Territories on Tuesday will focus on the war in the Gaza Strip and the continuing catastrophic humanitarian situation there.
As on previous trips, the path towards a two-state solution will also be a topic of discussion, she said.
On Tuesday, talks are planned in Ramallah with the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Mohammed Mustafa, on the situation in the West Bank and the PA's reform efforts.
A meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz is planned in Jerusalem.
On Tuesday evening, Baerbock plans to speak with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the country's capital Beirut.
