Germany’s Foreign Minister Baerbock and her Palestinian counterpart Al Malki have called on Israel to protect the civilian population in Rafah. Tomorrow Baerbock will travel to Israel again.
This is the second meeting between Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Palestinian counterpart Riad Al Malki since the beginning of the year. This alone shows the explosiveness in the region – and not just when it comes to the Gaza Strip. And so today’s joint press conference was also about the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority, to which Al Malki is a member, has the say.
“The West Bank must not be another source of violence,” Al Malki warned. “It must not be allowed for what is currently happening in the Gaza Strip to be repeated in the West Bank.”
The background is that last night there were renewed attacks by radical settlers on Palestinian places in the occupied West Bank. “Settler terrorism must stop,” Al Malki said. “It is extremely important that these settlers are kept in check so that innocent Palestinian civilians are spared.”
Worry that the conflict will spread
Al Malki viewed Israel’s military intervention in Palestinian refugee camps as a “targeted plan against Palestinian refugees as a whole.” Baerbock emphasized once again that Israeli settlement construction was “illegal”. We can see that life in the West Bank is becoming increasingly difficult, said the Green politician.
Both are concerned that the conflict could spread. This expansion could affect the West Bank, but also other states in the region.
Baerbock is therefore also committed to giving existing institutions more authority. The German Foreign Minister also called for reforms by the Palestinian Authority. The authority is the “legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
Al Malki is the autonomous authority’s foreign minister. Reforms are put on the table yourself, he said. “For this reform agenda to be successful, there are points where we need the support of friends and neighboring countries.” And other cases require Israel’s cooperation. The international community must put pressure on Israel here.
Baerbock advocates safe corridors
The central topic of the talks was Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Baerbock recalled that there are still more than 100 hostages in the hands of Hamas. At the same time, the catastrophic situation in Gaza leaves no one unmoved, especially Israel’s announcement that it will attack the border town of Rafah.
Of course, it is clear that there is also an “incredible network of the terrorist organization Hamas” in Rafah, said the Green politician. “We are faced with an incredible dilemma that terrorists are deliberately hiding behind people, behind children, behind mothers, behind grandparents,” said Baerbock. Hamas deliberately uses people as human shields.
“This script of terror must not work. The fight is against terrorism and not against the innocent civilian population,” said Baerbock. She appealed to Israel to take care of safe corridors for the civilian population: “These parents, these children, the families cannot simply disappear into thin air.” Israel’s right to self-defense does not include expulsion.
Al Malki demands international intervention
Al Malki agreed with Baerbock that all Israeli hostages must be released. He suggested that the Gaza Strip be declared a disaster area because of the risk of epidemics. Immediate international intervention is needed to protect these people.
Al-Maliki did not say exactly how he envisaged this. Baerbock criticized the fact that “far too little” humanitarian aid is still reaching the Gaza Strip.
Both agreed that there must be a perspective for a Palestinian state. “This conflict can only be resolved with a two-state solution,” said Baerbock. This cannot be done militarily alone.
Baerbock is traveling to Israel again
Al Malki’s visit came one day before Baerbock sets off on her fifth trip to the Middle East following the Hamas terrorist attacks. Talks are planned in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Izchak Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
According to the Foreign Office, the question will be how a humanitarian ceasefire can be achieved and how other Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas can be freed.
Baerbock was last in the region at the beginning of January. At that time she also visited the area around the border town of Rafah from the Egyptian side.