Berlin, May 26 (EFE).- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated this Monday that the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached dimensions that mean it can no longer be justified by Israel with the fight against terrorism by the Islamist group Hamas and suggested that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu could be violating international law.
At the European Forum of the WDR television channel, the new chancellor described the Israeli bombing of a school sheltering displaced people, which left at least 31 dead early this Monday, many of them children, as a “human tragedy and political catastrophe.”
“What the Israeli army is now doing in Gaza, I honestly don’t understand what the objective is. To make the civilian population suffer in this way, as has been happening increasingly in recent days, is something that can no longer be justified by the fight against Hamas terrorism,” he said, to applause from the audience.
In one of the most severe criticisms of Israel to date, Merz warned that Germany must restrain itself like no other country when it comes to publicly admonishing Israel, but stated that “if limits are crossed that infringe international law, the German chancellor must also say something.”
Merz said that this week he will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation and will repeat the same message that he has already conveyed to him on other occasions behind closed doors: “don’t exaggerate”.
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The German Chancellor assured that there is no dissent within the EU on how the situation should be addressed and what measures should be taken to exert pressure on Israel, but that the only divergence between countries is how explicit the criticisms are.
Despite the possibility he hinted at that Israel may be violating international law, he affirmed that the EU is “on Israel’s side” and urged the Government in Tel Aviv not to act in a way “that its best friends are not willing to accept”.
