Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu to implement humanitarian cease-fires in the Gaza Strip, a day after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Berlin.
"The chancellor emphasized the urgent necessity of improving the humanitarian situation of the people in the Gaza Strip," deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said in Berlin.
"Humanitarian cease-fires in the fighting could contribute to a considerable improvement in providing for the population," Hoffmann said.
In the call, which took place on Saturday, Scholz re-emphasized German solidarity with the Israeli people and said that Germany stood at Israel's side. Netanyahu explained Israeli efforts to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip, saying their safety continued to be thwarted by Hamas. Netanyahu's claims are proven wrong by Israeli actions in Gaza, where hospitals, schools and refugee camps are constantly bombed, resulting in the killing of over 12,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Just on Saturday, Israel bombed schools in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 80 people, in an attack condemned by the U.N.
Netanyahu is accused of war crimes and President Erdoğan pledged to take legal action by filing a complaint with over 2,000 lawyers to hold Israel accountable for genocide.
The two leaders also discussed efforts to free hostages held by Hamas as soon as possible, in particular children, the aged, the sick and women.
Scholz also informed Netanyahu regarding his efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading to the wider region.
