By Anadolu staff
BERLIN (AA) – Germany on Friday called on Israel to respect international law and take measures to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza.
“It’s important that Israel abides by international humanitarian law, and we make that very clear in our discussions with our Israeli partners,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a news conference in Berlin.
He made the remarks in response to a question by an Anadolu reporter about Israel’s intensified military offensive in southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have already fled.
Fischer pointed out that southern Gaza has become one of the most densely populated areas, as Israeli authorities earlier ordered Palestinians to move to the south.
“This of course increases the risk of civilian casualties during the military operations. We therefore believe it is particularly important that Israel takes this into account, and avoids civilian suffering,” he said.
“From our point of view, how Israel proceeds in this new phase is very crucial. Israel has a responsibility to comply with international humanitarian law, reduce civilian suffering, and protect the civilian population,” he stressed.
The spokesman said more humanitarian aid must be delivered to Gaza, including food, fuel, and other goods that people can use to prepare for the winter.
“We therefore continue to advocate for comprehensive humanitarian access, and we are in discussions with all sides about how this can be further expanded. We are also working towards new humanitarian pauses so that humanitarian access to Gaza can be achieved,” he said.
Fischer also criticized Hamas, arguing that it is using civilians as shields, and renewed Germany’s call on the group to lay down its arms.
“Hamas is drawing people into the war zone, and it is also responsible for the deaths of civilians with its continued attacks. That is why it is so important that Hamas lays down its arms, and poses no threat to either the Palestinians in Gaza or the people of Israel,” he said.