European, Arab foreign ministers call for de-escalation after Israeli strikes on Gaza

“In the last two days alone in Gaza, more than a dozen people have died, it is appalling to see that there were civilians among the casualties, children were among them,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said at a joint press conference with her counterparts in Berlin.

Baerbock called on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law while responding to rocket fires from Gaza.

“Israel has the right to defend its people against attacks, and at the same time, I would like to say this very clearly, as every country in the world Israel has the duty to protect the civilian population to the best of its abilities, and stick to the principle of proportionality,” she said.

The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Egypt, and Jordan met in the so-called Munich format as part of their regular consultations on the Middle East conflict and discussed Egypt’s efforts to mediate an end to the fighting.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called for immediate steps to end the violence and urged a return to the negotiations for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

“We all know that violence simply leads to more violence. Violence kills. What we need is a political perspective,” she said.

“Violence will not stop unless we have a just, sustainable solution to the Middle East conflict,” she added.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry heavily criticized Israel for escalating tensions in the region through its military operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“That does not only pose a threat to the international and national security but also destroys any hopes for a peaceful coexistence in the region, it is making all of our efforts void and leads to a vicious cycle of violence,” he said.

Shoukry said the international community should increase pressure on Israel to stop its unilateral actions and military aggression that threatens the two-state solution.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said all countries should step up their efforts to end the recent spiral of violence.

“Security should be guaranteed for both sides and therefore we need real true efforts,” he said.

Safadi warned that due to Israel’s military operations, Palestinian people are losing hope in a true peace process.

“We need to come back to a calmer situation as a starting point to develop a political perspective and launch a political process that will help us to move towards a two-state solution,” he said.

“Peace is a right for everybody, security is a right for everybody. Security of Israel cannot be guaranteed without Palestinians having security too,” he added.

The death toll from the latest Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 25, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Thursday.

The Israeli army said the airstrikes are part of its Operation Shield and Arrow, an offensive launched after rockets were fired from Gaza following the death of a Palestinian inmate who was on a hunger strike in an Israeli prison.

Palestinian factions also fired a barrage of rockets at Israel on Wednesday.

According to Palestinian figures, more than 130 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year. At least 19 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.

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