The German Chancellor demands a ceasefire and the release of captives in the Gaza war
NEW DELHI: As both parties were ready for further talks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed for a compromise that would both bring a durable truce and free prisoners in war-torn Gaza, according to an AFP report.
Speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a news conference in Jerusalem, Scholz said, “We need a hostage deal with a longer-lasting ceasefire.”
“We empathise with the hostage families who are demanding a comprehensive deal after more than five months to secure the release of those still held captive.”
Scholz’s visit fell on the same day that Israeli officials met to speak about the mandate of a negotiation team that was supposed to start new negotiations in Qatar with the goal of reaching a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu is under intense internal pressure to release the captives abducted after the October 7 raid by Hamas on southern Israel, which set off the current six-month-long Gaza battle.
According to Israeli figures, the strike claimed the lives of roughly 1,160 people, the majority of whom were civilians. At least 31,645 people have allegedly died as a result of Israel’s retaliatory military operations against Hamas; the majority of them were women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. In Jerusalem, Scholz emphasised that “terror cannot be defeated with military means alone” and pushed for a “negotiated two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
Given the enormous number of Gazans seeking sanctuary in Rafah, in southern Gaza, Netanyahu’s announcement earlier today about intentions for a military attack raised fears about possible civilian fatalities. Concerning the offensive’s effect on civilians, Scholz questioned how more than 1.5 million people could be protected and where they might go for safety. He said, “There is a humanitarian rationale in addition to the military reasoning. How could the safety of over 1.5 million individuals be ensured? “Where ought they to go?”
