Germany urges Israel to ensure aid workers' safety in Gaza

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) – The German government called on Israel on Wednesday to ensure the safety of humanitarian aid workers in the Gaza Strip, after more than 100 aid workers were killed and dozens of others injured in eight Israeli forces attacks over the past week.

Aid workers in Gaza "must be protected from attacks. We continue to call on Israel to do more to ensure safe supplies for civilians," Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said in Berlin.

In view of the “catastrophic situation” in Gaza, Fischer urged that more aid must urgently be delivered to the needy Palestinians, added.

The spokesman stressed that the current goal is to protect civilians from the consequences of the armed conflict and to "enable people to survive."

He said, “Our clear expectation is that international humanitarian law will be adhered to in the conflict.”

The United Nations issued a warning on Monday of an impending famine disaster.

The spokesman said there should be now no "large-scale offensive" in Rafah city of the Gaza Strip, on Egypt's border.
Over a million people were currently residing there, the majority of whom sought refuge there at Israel's request. In the current situation, an offensive that adequately protects the civilian population is impossible, Fischer added.

The German Parliament is scheduled to discuss the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories on Thursday.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.​​​​​​​

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.