Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) has called for significant progress in the stalled Gaza peace process, warning against the growing power of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. In his comments, Wadephul told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Editorial Network Germany) that Israel must allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and transfer partial responsibility for areas under Israeli control to the Palestinians. Crucially, he stressed the necessity of finally disarming Hamas. The Foreign Minister noted that, in fact, the opposite is happening, stating that the group is currently rearming, and therefore those nations influential over Hamas must apply even greater pressure. He insisted that everyone claiming to speak for the Palestinians must ensure that Hamas is unable to operate.
Separately, Wadephul rejected calls from several EU nations for trade restrictions on goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He acknowledged that the settlements violate international law, but he argued that it would be unwise for Germany, given its history, to pursue trade restrictions against Israel. He viewed such measures as having only symbolic impact. Instead, he suggested there were other ways for Germany to clearly communicate its position to the Israeli government, adding that the current Israeli policies risk permanently jeopardizing European support for the country.
