German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concern about the danger of a regional war in the Middle East during a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a government spokesman said in Berlin on Sunday.
Scholz made clear the German government strongly condemns threats from Iran, Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and others against the security of Israel and its citizens, spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said.
The chancellor stressed the need to break “the destructive spiral of retaliatory violence, reduce tensions and work constructively for de-escalation,” the spokesman said.
The chancellor reiterated that the time has come to finalize an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by militants in the Palestinian territory.
He said that “many military goals” in the fight against Hamas have been achieved, but the human suffering in the Gaza Strip continues and is “enormous.”
Concerns about a conflagration in the Middle East have grown. Iran and its allied militias have announced they are planning retaliatory strikes against Israel following the killing of two leading figures from the Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups.
