Merz calls on Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) once again spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged an improvement in the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. "The Chancellor expressed his deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. He called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to do everything in his power to achieve a ceasefire immediately," said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius.

Merz also called on Netanyahu to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid to the starving civilian population in the Gaza Strip. "The measures announced by the Israeli government must now be quickly followed by further substantial steps," the Berlin statement said.

Relief supplies from the air

Meanwhile, the Israeli army has responded to international criticism of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip by airdropping relief supplies. Seven pallets of relief supplies, including flour, sugar, and canned food, provided by international organizations, were dropped, the military announced overnight.

In addition to the airdrops, the Israeli military announced so-called "humanitarian pauses" in certain regions. The aim is to allow UN convoys to safely deliver food and medicine.

Starting today, the army will observe a "tactical pause in military activities for humanitarian purposes" from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time "every day until further notice," the Israeli Defense Forces announced. The pause applies to the areas where the army is not operating: Al-Mawasi in the southwest of the sealed-off coastal strip, Deir al-Balah in the center, and Gaza City in the north. This was agreed upon following appropriate discussions with the UN and international organizations, the statement said.

In addition, corridors would be set up from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time to allow the safe passage of convoys from UN and other aid organizations that deliver and distribute food and medicine to the population throughout the Gaza Strip, the army said.

The Foreign Ministry announced an initial ceasefire for this Sunday. At the same time, the army emphasized that it would continue its operations against "terrorists" in other areas.

Since the ceasefire was broken in March, only a small amount of aid has reached the sealed-off coastal area. Israel and the UN accuse each other of obstructing the distribution of aid.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued a dire warning of a deadly hunger crisis among the approximately two million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. Israel denies this and blames Hamas for the precarious situation. According to the Israeli version, the Islamist organization, which is classified as a terrorist group by many countries, is confiscating aid shipments to resell them for profit.

Macron pushes for two-state solution

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X after a conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that the blockade of humanitarian aid and the expansion of the Israeli military operation in Gaza posed an unacceptable risk of famine and the forced displacement of the population. "We cannot accept that the population, including many children, dies of hunger," Macron wrote, again calling for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.

An international conference on the two-state solution planned by his country and Saudi Arabia in New York on Monday must create a new dynamic in favor of a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution, Macron wrote.

The work will continue at the UN General Assembly in New York in September. Macron had previously announced that he would announce the recognition of Palestine as a state there. This drew sharp criticism from Israel and its ally, the United States .

Status of hostage negotiations open

Meanwhile, in Israel, several thousand people took to the streets demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages still held by Hamas. At the rally in Tel Aviv, a former hostage appealed to US President Donald Trump : "I urge you: Please use every means, every leverage, to bring them all home. A comprehensive agreement is the only way forward, and only you can make it happen."

On Thursday, the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams from indirect ceasefire talks in Qatar . How the ceasefire efforts will proceed now remains to be seen. According to Israeli sources, 50 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Hamas terrorists and other Islamists kidnapped more than 250 people into the Gaza Strip during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 1,200 people were killed. This triggered the war. Since then, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority in the Gaza Strip, tens of thousands of people have been killed. The figures, which cannot be independently verified, do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

pgr/haz/pg/ack/hf (dpa, afp)