German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concerns about the risk of a regional war in the Middle East during a telephone conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahua government spokesman said in Berlin on Sunday.
Scholz made it clear that 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 towards de-escalation,” the spokesman said.
The Chancellor reiterated that it is time to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by militants in the Palestinian territory.
He said that “many military objectives” in the fight against Hamas have been achieved, but that human suffering in the Gaza Strip continues and is “enormous”.
Concerns about a conflagration in the Middle East have grown. Iran and its allies have announced plans to retaliate against Israel after the killing of two leading figures from the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
