German FM mulls participation in possible international protection force for Gaza

3 months ago 10

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is considering the possibility of her country participating in an international protection force for Gaza, as previously called for by the Arab League.

In mid-May, the Arab League called for a UN protection force for the Gaza Strip. While Baerbock was reluctant to support the idea without a ceasefire at the time, she has now underlined the possibility of German participation.

“If an international protection force is now needed to ensure that we finally achieve peace, that is also our mission”, Baerbock told a Green Party conference on Saturday.

Peace in the Middle East requires more than reconstruction, Baerbock said, adding that it should be made clear that peace in the Middle East should be pursued in the same way as in Ukraine.

On Friday evening, US President Joe Biden unveiled his three-stage peace plan for Gaza, starting with an immediate six-week ceasefire that would see Israeli troops withdraw from populated areas. This would be followed by the release of vulnerable groups of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for imprisoned Palestinians.

According to Biden, the final stage is the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, where Baerbock’s offer to support a UN peacekeeping mission would take place.

On Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his support for the US-led peace plan.

“The German government joins Washington’s appeal: Hamas must finally put an end to its murderous activities and release the hostages – with the Israeli offer, there is now a tangible prospect of an end to the fighting and an end to the war,” a press release reads.

On the same day, Israel confirmed that it had accepted the framework agreement.

It is “a deal we agreed to – It’s not a good deal, but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them,” said Netanyahu’s chief foreign policy adviser, Ophir Falk, in an interview with the UK’s Sunday Times.

(Kjeld Neubert | Euractiv.de)