German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is currently on a multi-day trip to the Middle East. After meetings with her Israeli counterpart and the Israeli president on Sunday and a visit to the West Bank on Monday, the Green politician stressed in Egypt on Tuesday that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank belong to the Palestinian people. “The Israeli military must do more to protect civilians in Gaza,” Baerbock said.
“The suffering of so many innocent Palestinians cannot continue in this way,” she said after meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. She spoke very intensively, very long and confidentially with Shoukry about how new humanitarian ruptures could be created “so that people in Israel and Palestine can finally live in peace and security.” Baerbock also spoke out again in favor of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
But the violence coming from Israeli settlers in the West Bank must also be stopped by the military, Baerbock demanded. The day before, the 43-year-old Palestinian resident had heard him describe the situation in the town of Al-Masraa al-Kiblija, northwest of Ramallah. The city of about 5,000 inhabitants is surrounded by several Israeli settlements.
Baerbock spoke to Palestinian farmers
One affected farmer reported, among other things, that he could no longer cultivate his fruit and vegetable fields because the settlers had blocked roads and attacked him and his family. He was hit in the head and sprayed with pepper spray. The 70-year-old retired teacher said his daughters were also attacked. The Israelis tried to burn houses and drove him out of his home, which is in a valley between the Palestinian town and the settlement. Settler violence increased again after the terrorist attack on Israel by Islamist Hamas on October 7.
Baerbock would like to get the most complete picture possible of the dangerous situation in the Middle East and will travel to Lebanon later today, Tuesday. Talks are planned in the capital Beirut with the acting Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, and the commander of the armed forces, General Joseph Aoun. Since the start of the Gaza war, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah has increasingly fired projectiles into Israel from Lebanon. Israel usually responds to this with attacks on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
