German chancellor to visit Jordan, Israel as Berlin calls for more aid deliveries to Gaza

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - The German government said on Friday that not enough aid deliveries are getting into war-ravaged Gaza, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz is headed to Jordan and Israel over the weekend.

“The fact is that there is still not enough humanitarian aid coming to the Gaza Strip. We also call on Israel to open additional border crossings into the Gaza Strip,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said at a press briefing in Berlin.

He said unequivocally that humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza by air or sea should be viewed "as complementary to land transportation."

On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Baerbock told a news conference in Berlin that she was “gravely” concerned about the humanitarian situation and a “looming famine” in north Gaza.

According to international aid organizations, the situation of the people in the coastal strip is becoming increasingly desperate as children are beginning to die of starvation.

The UN has warned that there is a risk of a hunger crisis if aid deliveries by truck are not increased in Gaza where around 2.2 million people live.

Israel has faced widespread international criticism and condemnation for its brutal military actions.