News

Scholz to press for more Gaza aid on Jordan, Israel visit

By AFP

March 15, 2024 08:08 PM


Twitter Share Facebook Share WhatsApp Share

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to travel to Jordan and Israel over the weekend to lobby for more aid to be delivered to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, his spokesman said Friday.

"Humanitarian efforts must be significantly improved... that is what (Scholz) will make clear in his talks in Israel," the chancellor's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said at a regular press conference.

The German leader will also reiterate his warning against a ground offensive in Rafah, said the spokesman.

Scholz is due to hold discussions with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Saturday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on Sunday.

The chancellor's visit to Israel is his second since Hamas triggered the conflict in Gaza when it launched a cross-border attack on October 7.

Efforts to get food and other aid into the Palestinian territory have grown, including by air and sea, but fighting rages on after mediators failed to reach a truce for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Earlier in the week Germany said it would join an operation initiated by Jordan to airdrop aid into the Gaza Strip. Berlin has also said it will also support efforts to deliver much-needed aid by sea.

"What comes via the air bridge or the sea bridge is at best the second best solution," Hebestreit said, urging more aid deliveries over land.

"We stand close by Israel's side, but we also clearly demand that all commitments under international law are met," Hebestreit said.

Hebestreit reiterated a call for Hamas to release the remaining hostages in their captivity.

"That would also pave the way for a ceasefire that can then be used for further talks," Hebestreit said.

Gaza has faced relentless bombardment by Israel since Hamas's October 7 attack that resulted in about 1,160 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory bombardment and ground offensive has killed 31,341 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.


AFP


Most Read

  1. Mexican claims victory by paying $28 for $28,000 Cartier earrings Mexican claims victory by paying $28 for $28,000 Cartier earrings
  2. Two Railway Police personnel killed in Mardan Two Railway Police personnel killed in Mardan
  3. Ducky Bhai pledges million-rupee reward for unveiling source of deepfake video of his wife Ducky Bhai pledges million-rupee reward for unveiling source of deepfake video of his wife
  4. Relationships are tough; Mrunal Thakkur plans to freeze her eggs Relationships are tough; Mrunal Thakkur plans to freeze her eggs
  5. Gunmen storm Lucky Cement factory, kill security guard Gunmen storm Lucky Cement factory, kill security guard
  6. When Pakistani pilot shot down Israeli fighter plane When Pakistani pilot shot down Israeli fighter plane

Opinion

  1. PML-N smashed PTI in by-polls
    PML-N smashed PTI in by-polls

    By News Desk

  2. Riding the Digital Wave: How Technology is Rewriting the Script of Economic Prosperity
    Riding the Digital Wave: How Technology is Rewriting the Script of Economic Prosperity

    By News Desk

  3. Tax on solar energy: Govt's misplaced priorities favour powerful stakeholders over people welfare  
    Tax on solar energy: Govt's misplaced priorities favour powerful stakeholders over people welfare  

    By Manzoor Qadir

  4. Legacy of Indian military subjugation in Kashmir
    Legacy of Indian military subjugation in Kashmir

    By Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai

  5. Islamabad becoming the hub of international diplomacy
    Islamabad becoming the hub of international diplomacy

    By Salim Bokhari

  6. Insights into the Pakistan Stock Exchange's Recent Record High Triumph
    Insights into the Pakistan Stock Exchange's Recent Record High Triumph

    By Zulfiqar Ali Mir