BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a German government spokesman said on Sunday.

During the call, Netanyahu briefed Scholz on the situation in the region, Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.

Scholz stressed the importance of preventing further escalation of tensions and the spread of conflict in the region.

Scholz also commented on the decision of the governments and heads of state at the EU Council to impose further sanctions on Iran following hostilities between Israel and Iran. He said that the German government would continue to closely coordinate with G7 and EU countries.

Berlin has been internationally criticized for supporting Israel amid the country’s ongoing offensive against the Gaza Strip.

Flouting an International Court of Justice provisional ruling, Israel continues its onslaught on Gaza where over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and some 77,000 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.​​​​​​​