German Foreign Minister Announces Aid for Gaza Civilians of 50 Million Euros
On the first leg of a brief trip to the Middle East, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pledged 50 million euros in assistance for Gaza Strip inhabitants on Thursday. She noted that Germany was getting ready to deploy medical personnel into the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from her government.
She said that the purpose of her trip was to demonstrate her “unwavering solidarity” and to guarantee that Palestinians could get assistance. She made the announcement of the assistance program in Jordan, the first stop of her regional trip that also included visits to Israel and Lebanon. According to her ministry, she said, “Our message is clear,” alongside Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, during a press conference in Amman. “We don’t leave the innocent mothers, fathers, and kids in Palestine.”
Baerbock insisted on Israel’s “right to defend itself against Hamas terror” before she left and decried the terrorist organization for allegedly exploiting Gaza’s civilian population as “human shields” in its battle with Israel. On October 7, Hamas terrorists crossed Israel’s tightly guarded Gaza border, murdering more than 1,400 people—the majority of them were civilians—and capturing at least 199 hostages, according to Israel.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israel’s constant airstrikes on Gaza in response to the assaults have resulted in the deaths of more than 3,470 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Additionally, it has enforced a brutal blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its residents with decreasing access to food, water, and fuel.
Before beginning her journey, Baerbock remarked, “It is important to me to make clear to Palestinians that we also recognize their suffering.” She described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic”.
Following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Israel and Egypt last week, Baerbock said Berlin was coordinating closely with the G7, the European Union, and regional allies to guarantee that supplies could reach Gaza. She said that she would “use the trip to speak with all those who have channels to Hamas” to determine the best way to achieve the release of the hostages held by the organization.
Boris Pistorius, the German defense minister, paid a surpise visit to Lebanon on Thursday. According to Pistorius’s ministry, the purpose of his “at short notice” trip was to express his gratitude to German peacekeepers with UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force stationed in a buffer zone between southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
The minister also hoped to “get informed about the impact of the conflict in Israel and Gaza on the (German) contingent in the region,” according to a post on X, previously known as Twitter.
