JAKARTA - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately realize and commitment a ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Merz emphasized that equal humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is hit by a food crisis and malnutrition, must be carried out safely and humanely.
This was conveyed by Merz when communicating by telephone with Netanyahu on Friday, July 18.
"The chancellor expressed his hope for a swift ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. All remaining Hamas hostages, including those with German citizenship, must be released immediately," the German Chancellor's office said in a statement.
In the statement, Merz also pushed for the realization of a postwar order that is appropriate for Gazans taking into account the security of Israel and the right of Palestine to determine its own destiny".
The Chancellor also "suppressed that there should be no steps towards annexation of the West Bank."
Earlier, at a press conference in Berlin, Merz said the events in Gaza "are no longer acceptable. He said Germany was committed to the interests of the two warring parties.
"We are doing everything we can to uphold justice for both parties, where we are," Merz said.
"But we also see the suffering of Palestinians and try to do everything possible to provide humanitarian assistance here as well," he continued.
SEE ALSO:
-
| BERITA
Perolehan Suara Pemilihan Ketum PSI Sudah 71 Persen, Kaesang Unggul Jauh
18 Juli 2025, 14:55
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
