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German chancellor criticises Israel's actions in Gaza
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 26, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 26, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticizes Israel's actions in Gaza, urging adherence to international law while maintaining Germany's historical support.
(Reuters) -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised Israel's actions in Gaza on Monday, saying the extent of harm being done to the civilian population could no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas' terrorism.
"When boundaries are crossed, where humanitarian international law is really being violated, then Germany too, then the German chancellor too must say something about it," Merz told broadcaster WDR in a televised interview.
Germany has staunchly backed Israel's right to defend itself since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023 that triggered the war, reflecting what it sees as its duty to stand by the country in atonement for its own role in the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews died.
But German government officials have increasingly stressed the need for Israel to adhere to international law in its response to the Hamas attacks, while mostly avoiding outright criticism of its actions in the Palestinian territories.
Merz, who has been in office for about three weeks, said: "The Israeli government must not do anything that, at some point, even its best friends are no longer willing to accept."
He added: "What the Israeli army is doing now in the Gaza Strip, frankly speaking, I no longer understand with what goal."
The chancellor said he planned to hold a call with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week to tell him "to not overdo it," though he added that for "historical reasons" Germany would always be more guarded in its criticism than some of its European partners.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Kirsti Knolle, editing by Rachel More and Hugh Lawson)
Chancellor Merz criticized Israel's actions in Gaza, stating that the harm to civilians could no longer be justified.
While Germany has historically supported Israel's right to defend itself, officials have increasingly emphasized the need for Israel to comply with international law.
Merz intended to hold a call with Netanyahu to advise him not to overdo military actions in Gaza.
Germany's support for Israel is influenced by historical reasons, particularly its past actions during World War II.
Merz expressed confusion about the goals of the Israeli army's actions in Gaza, indicating that even Israel's friends might not accept them.
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