Baerbock met Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to Israeli media reports, a confrontation broke out during the private conversation - over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Tel Aviv – The war in Israel has been going on for more than six months. After Hamas's bloody attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military launched an offensive against the Gaza Strip that continues to this day. Added to this is the recent major Iranian attack on Israel, which has further exacerbated the situation in the already turbulent region. At this sensitive time, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) traveled to Israel. There she met, among others, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The meeting probably turned out to be a difficult affair.
Obvious confrontation with Netanyahu: Baerbock argues about the humanitarian situation in Gaza
Because during the conversation between the German and Israeli delegations there was apparently an exchange of blows between Baerbock and Netanyahu. This was reported by the Israeli broadcaster
Reshet 13
, citing informed sources. The prominent newspaper
Times of Israel
also picked up the report. The confrontation - in which Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is said to have become loud towards Baerbock - was therefore about the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, Baerbock said that Israel's stance in Gaza was causing people there to starve. “They are leading to starvation in Gaza, the situation is terrible,” Baerbock is said to have said. Israel is repeatedly accused of restricting the import of humanitarian aid. The right-wing extremist camp of the Netanyahu government in particular is demanding that little aid be provided until all the hostages in the hands of Hamas are released. Families of the hostages have tried several times to prevent the passage of humanitarian aid on their own.
According to Reshet 13,
Netanyahu contradicted
the German foreign minister and said there was no hunger in Gaza. But Baerbock didn't let up. “I can show you photos of starving children on my phone,” she apparently said. But Netanyahu stuck to his original position and replied again, “There is no hunger in Gaza,” according to the Israeli broadcaster’s sources.
“Does not reflect reality”: Baerbock contradicts Netanyahu about the situation in Gaza
This time, the Israeli Prime Minister countered: “We can show you photos of the markets in Gaza and the beaches, there is no hunger there.” On Wednesday (April 17), new photos of the beaches in Gaza actually appeared. You can see hundreds of Palestinians who, in view of the now high temperatures, threw themselves into the sea and spent time on the beach. These recordings have since been presented, particularly by Israelis on social media, as evidence that there is no major crisis in Gaza, as claimed.
However, Baerbock was not convinced by this. "I suggest you not to show these photos because they do not reflect reality," she is quoted as saying in the Israeli broadcaster's report. She also did not back down from her position: “There is hunger in Gaza.” Baerbock's accusation that these photos do not correspond to reality may have angered Netanyahu. He apparently raised his voice and said, “It’s real, it’s reality. We are not like Nazis who produce fake images of a virtual reality.” Israel accuses Hamas authorities in Gaza of fabricating videos of alleged massacres of civilians in order to put Israel in international distress.
Baerbock exchanges blows with Netanyahu: “Are you saying that our doctors in Gaza are lying?”
According to the report, Federal Foreign Minister Baerbock also appeared increasingly frustrated. In her statements, she ultimately did not base her statements on Hamas claims, but rather on her own information. “Are you saying that our doctors in Gaza are lying or that the international media is lying?” she replied to Netanyahu’s accusation. She is said to have later called for more humanitarian aid to be imported.
Like the USA and several European countries, Germany calls on Israel to show restraint towards Iran and repeatedly draws attention to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. However, Netanyahu has so far not been convinced and emphasizes that Israel will make its own decisions with regard to Iran. Now the Israeli military apparently wants to continue the offensive against the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. That could lead to a new humanitarian disaster, as about a million refugees from the rest of the strip have gathered there. According to Israel, Rafah is the last remaining stronghold of Hamas.
(bb)