German Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly criticized Israel on Monday for breaching international humanitarian law in Gaza, stating that he plans to address the issue directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this week.
"What the Israeli army is doing now in the Gaza Strip, harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism," he said at the WDR European Forum in Berlin.
The conservative leader acknowledged that Germany has been reluctant so far to publicly criticize Israel due to its historical responsibility. However, he emphasized that he can no longer understand any military objectives in Israel's current actions.
"When boundaries are crossed, where international humanitarian law is truly violated, Germany and the German chancellor must also say something about it," Merz said, adding that he will raise the concerns when he speaks with Netanyahu this week.
The chancellor also criticized the Israeli military's latest bombing of a school in Gaza, which killed at least 31 people and wounded many more.
"I have to say that what happened this weekend-when another kindergarten in the Gaza Strip was hit-is a human tragedy and a political catastrophe," Merz said, adding that the German government was in contact with Israeli officials to raise concerns about the military offensive.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul renewed his call for Israel to allow more humanitarian aid to Gaza, emphasizing that while Tel Aviv recently permitted limited aid, it remains far from sufficient.
"The humanitarian situation is unbearable and must be improved quickly," he said during his visit to Madrid, adding that he conveyed this message to his Israeli counterpart during their recent weekend phone call.
Reiterating his call for an immediate ceasefire, Wadephul said ending the fighting and freeing the hostages could pave the way for diplomatic talks and a constructive path to a two-state solution.
"Germany's position is clear: there can only be a two-state solution. There must be no expulsion from the Gaza Strip. There must also be no policy of starvation," he stressed, adding that the Gaza Strip should belong to Palestinians as part of a two-state settlement.
Although he took a critical approach toward Israel's latest military offensive in Gaza, Wadephul did not voice support for Spain's call for a weapons embargo to Israel, and suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
The conservative German politician reiterated his country's historical responsibility to Israel stemming from its Nazi past, and argued that Europeans should utilize every dialogue opportunity with the Israeli government to convey their messages, rather than suspending mechanisms that enable political dialogue.
