Baerbock and Cameron call for ceasefire in the Middle East
In a joint newspaper article, the German Foreign Minister and her British counterpart speak out in favor of a ceasefire in the war in the Middle East. However, this could not happen immediately or unilaterally. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasizes that the goal remains "total victory" against Hamas.
Germany and the UK have called for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza war. In a joint article for the British Sunday Times, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her British counterpart David Cameron demanded: "Our goal cannot simply be an end to the fighting today. It must be a peace that lasts for days, years, generations. We therefore support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable."
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sticking to his line of continuing the war against the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip until "total victory". According to the newspaper "The Times of Israel", Netanyahu said of Hamas' demands to stop the fighting and withdraw troops: "The moment we capitulate to this demand, Hamas has won. And we are committed to eliminating (Hamas) and getting all the hostages back".
Cameron and Green politician Baerbock did not advocate an immediate ceasefire, but showed understanding for such demands. "It is an understandable reaction to so much suffering and we share the view that this conflict cannot be allowed to drag on and on. That is why we supported the recent humanitarian pauses," the PA news agency quoted from the article. Calls for a general and immediate ceasefire, however, ignore the reasons why Israel is forced to defend itself. "Hamas has barbarically attacked Israel and still fires rockets every day to kill Israeli citizens." Hamas must "lay down its weapons", wrote the Foreign Minister and her British counterpart.
Israel has the right to defend itself, but must comply with international humanitarian law, the two foreign ministers said. "Israel will not win this war if its operations destroy the prospect of peaceful coexistence with the Palestinians." Too many civilians were being killed in the effort to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas. "The Israeli government should do more to distinguish sufficiently between terrorists and civilians and ensure that its fight targets Hamas leaders and operatives," Cameron and Baerbock said. Earlier, US President Joe Biden had already called on Israel to show more consideration for the civilian population.
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Despite the calls for a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to insist on a 'total victory' against Hamas in the Middle East. Contrarily, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her British counterpart Cameron have urged Hamas to 'lay down its weapons,' acknowledging the suffering but emphasizing that ongoing calls for an immediate ceasefire disregard Israel's need to protect itself against Hamas' barbaric attacks.
Source: www.ntv.de
