War
Baerbock in the Middle East: Hezbollah and the situation in the Gaza Strip
Like many partners in Europe, the USA and the region, Baerbock is striving for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Photo
© Hannes P Albert/dpa
Ramallah, Jerusalem, Beirut: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is in Israel for the eighth time since the Hamas terror attack. There are no signs of easing. Quite the opposite.
At the Herzliya Security Conference in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv the evening before, Baerbock had stated that if the PA was to eventually assume the role of the legitimate government authority in Gaza, it must be in a position to ensure this – including with police and security forces.
The minister has long been calling for a reform of the Palestinian Authority. However, she warned: “In the current situation, it is dangerous and counterproductive to destroy and destabilize established PA structures.” But this is exactly what the illegal expansion of Israeli settlement projects in the West Bank is doing.
Baerbock aims for two-state solution
Like many partners in Europe, the USA and the region, Baerbock is striving for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians, in which an independent Palestinian state exists peacefully side by side with Israel. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects such a solution, as does the Islamist Hamas.
A meeting between Baerbock and Netanyahu is not planned this time. The most recent meeting between the two politicians in mid-April resulted in a loud argument. This is Baerbock’s eighth trip to Israel since the bloody Hamas terror attack on October 7.
Interview with Benny Gantz
Baerbock met in Jerusalem with former general Benny Gantz, who recently left Netanyahu’s war cabinet because the government had not drawn up a plan for a post-war order in the Gaza Strip. To date, Netanyahu has not presented such a plan – probably in order not to offend his ultra-right coalition partners, on whom his political survival depends. They are calling for the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. Nothing was initially known about the content of the conversation.
Baerbock now also wants to meet with her colleague Israel Katz. The focus will likely be on Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and the dramatic humanitarian situation of the civilian population there. A meeting is planned later with relatives of kidnapping victims who are still being held in the Gaza Strip.
Baerbock in Beirut – Concern about escalation with Hezbollah
Against the backdrop of growing concerns about an escalation of the conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, Baerbock will fly on to Lebanon in the afternoon. In the capital Beirut, talks with acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati and acting Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib are planned before returning to Berlin.
Complete withdrawal of Hezbollah required
At the Herzliya conference, Baerbock called for a complete and verifiable withdrawal of the Shiite Hezbollah militia from the border area between Lebanon and Israel. The increase in violence on Israel’s northern border is a major concern. “The risk of unintentional escalation and a full-scale war is growing daily. Extreme caution is therefore required,” said Baerbock.
Israel wants to use diplomatic pressure to get the militia to withdraw behind the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the border – as stipulated in a UN resolution. If necessary, however, Israel is also prepared to use a larger military operation, Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant recently warned.
Air strike in the south of the Gaza Strip
According to hospital sources, at least seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. According to residents of the city, the dead had accompanied humanitarian aid deliveries on behalf of Hamas.
Aid organizations are warning of a collapse of public order and chaos. For the first time in weeks, there was a rocket alert in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon. According to paramedics, two people were injured when they ran to shelters. Several others suffered shock.
In a speech to the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, Netanyahu reiterated that the war would not end until all 120 hostages – the living and the dead – had returned. “We are committed to the Israeli proposal, which US President Biden welcomed. Our position has not changed,” he said. At the same time, Netanyahu stressed the goal of destroying Hamas. He also said that “at all costs and in all ways, we will thwart Iran’s intentions to destroy us.”
Gallant holds talks in Washington
In Washington, Israel’s Defense Minister Joav Galant met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that could lead to the release of Israeli hostages and relief for the Palestinian population. Blinken informed Gallant about current diplomatic efforts to ensure security and reconstruction in Gaza after the end of the conflict, said spokesman Matthew Miller.