Agency Report –
The German government expressed sharp criticism on Monday of Israel’s decision to recognize 13 West Bank settlements seen as illegal under international law.
“We sharply condemn this decision,” a Foreign Office spokesman said in Berlin. “We reject Israel’s settlement policy, as it is contrary to international law and obstructs any chance of a two-state solution by blocking a viable Palestinian state,” he added.
The Foreign Office also criticized Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip and expressed reservations on a new authority announced by Israel to facilitate the “voluntary” departure by Palestinians from the war-torn enclave.
The move had yet to be examined, the spokesman said. “But if this involves setting up an authority with the aim of permanent expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, that is unacceptable and must be condemned,” he said.
The Foreign Office called on the Israeli government to restore access to the region for humanitarian aid, including water and electricity and to provide medical care in line with humanitarian international law.
Referring to the resumption of hostilities by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the spokesman said that reports of a large number of civilian casualties, alongside the killing of Hamas officials, were cause for extreme concern.
The remaining hostages in Gaza would not be freed and the humanitarian situation would become catastrophic again, he said.
