Germany renews call for cease-fire in Gaza

BERLIN 

Germany on Friday reiterated calls for a cease-fire in Gaza amid reports of renewed mediated talks between Israel and Hamas in the Qatari capital Doha.

“There are now reports again about a new dynamic in the cease-fire negotiations, which we very much welcome and hope that there will soon be such a cease-fire,” deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said at a press briefing in Berlin.

He also stressed again that Israel’s military was not doing enough to protect civilians in Gaza.

“Our position is the one we have stated here many times, that the military approach in Gaza must be adjusted and the civilian population must be protected, “ Wagner said.

Israel was reportedly to send a delegation to the Qatari capital during the day to resume negotiations on a hostage deal with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to send the delegation to Doha for talks about releasing Israeli hostages in Gaza, a statement issued by his office indicated.

The delegation includes senior officials from the military, the Mossad intelligence agency and the internal security agency, Shabak, the statement added, without disclosing the identities of any of the members of the group.

The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, has repeatedly expressed a willingness in recent months to negotiate a prisoner swap and a cease-fire deal with Israel. In May, the group agreed to a proposal from US President Joe Biden.

Netanyahu, however, later rejected the proposal, adding new conditions, including the continuation of the military campaign and the refusal to withdraw forces from Gaza.

The Palestinian group insists on a complete halt to the fighting and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Opposition leaders and families of the hostages accuse Netanyahu of blocking a deal in order to maintain his political position, with extremist ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, threatening to topple the government if any cease-fire in Gaza is agreed upon.

The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,550 victims, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.