German Chancellor Merz questions Israel's strategy in Gaza

By Euronews

Published connected 26/05/2025 - 15:03 GMT+2•Updated 15:05

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticised Israel's plans to return power of Gaza and clasp up to 75% of nan Strip, stating he "no longer understands" nan extremity goal.

"The Israeli authorities must not do thing that moreover its champion friends are nary longer consenting to accept," said Merz astatine nan WDR Europaforum successful Berlin connected Monday.

"What nan Israeli service is now doing successful nan Gaza Strip, I frankly nary longer understand pinch what goal," he added.

The German chancellor besides commented connected nan truth that Palestinians successful nan Strip are limited connected world assistance deliveries, which Israel had blocked until precocious pinch nan statement that Hamas would use from them.

"To origin specified suffering to nan civilian population, arsenic has progressively been nan lawsuit successful caller days, tin nary longer beryllium justified by nan conflict against Hamas terrorism," Merz said.

Merz's words constituent to a displacement successful reside successful different state of Israel, aft nan leaders of France, nan United Kingdom and Canada past week condemned what they called Israel’s "egregious" subject actions successful Gaza and warned that they would return "concrete actions" if Netanyahu didn't alteration course, peculiarly regarding humanitarian aid.

On Friday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused nan trio of being connected nan "wrong broadside of history" and siding pinch Hamas aft they each called for an extremity to Israel’s subject cognition successful Gaza and restrictions connected nan transportation of humanitarian aid.

"When wide murderers, rapists, babe killers and kidnappers convey you, you're connected nan incorrect broadside of justice, you're connected nan incorrect broadside of humanity and you're connected nan incorrect broadside of history," he said successful remarks connected Friday, name-checking Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Mark Carney.

"Now, these leaders whitethorn deliberation that they're advancing peace, they’re not. They're emboldening Hamas to proceed fighting everlastingly and they springiness them dream to found a 2nd Palestinian authorities from which Hamas will again activity to destruct nan Jewish authorities - and mind you, it's not going to beryllium a authorities free of Hamas."

After an almost three-month blockade connected each assistance entering nan Strip, dozens of trucks were allowed to participate Gaza again past week, but nan UN said that nan magnitude entering was a "drop successful nan ocean" compared to what was needed.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched a renewed violative connected Hamas successful Gaza, codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariots, successful mid-May.

The awesome crushed violative successful bluish and confederate Gaza is backed by nan Israeli aerial unit and intends to grow "operational control" complete nan Strip and free nan remaining hostages still being held by Hamas.