Chancellor openly criticizes Israel's violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, saying he no longer understands any military objectives behind their actions
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sharply criticized Israel on Monday for violating international humanitarian law in Gaza and said he would raise these concerns with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week.
"What the Israeli army is doing now in the Gaza Strip, harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism," he said at the WDR European Forum in Berlin.
The conservative leader acknowledged Germany has been reluctant so far to publicly criticize Israel due to its historical responsibility. However, he emphasized that he can no longer understand any military objectives in Israel's current actions.
"When boundaries are crossed, where international humanitarian law is truly violated, Germany and the German chancellor must also say something about it," Merz said, adding that he will raise the concerns when he speaks with Netanyahu this week.
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