German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Tuesday pressed Israel not to obstruct humanitarian aid to Gaza through excessive bureaucracy and urged the release of withheld tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Tel Aviv with his Israeli counterpart, Wadephul said the two discussed recent regional developments, including US-Iran talks, the Israel-Lebanon conflict, and the situations in Gaza and occupied West Bank.
While reaffirming Germany's strong support for Israel's security, Wadephul said that "as good friends of Israel," they also addressed issues of concern. He stressed that Germany expects the full implementation of the Gaza peace plan and that sufficient humanitarian aid must urgently reach Palestinian civilians.
"The bureaucratic procedures for certain spare parts or consumables are delaying aid organizations," he said. "Such petty bureaucratic hurdles must not be allowed to disrupt aid to 2 million people who are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance."
Wadephul reiterated Germany's position that there is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and renewed Berlin's call for diplomatic efforts toward a negotiated two-state solution. He also pressed Israel to release the blocked tax and customs revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority.
"Palestinians in the West Bank need a future perspective — a political and economic future," he said. "I reiterated today that while the Palestinian Authority is not perfect and urgently needs reform, weakening it does not serve Israel's security. Instead, it could create a vacuum that other, more radical forces might fill."
Wadephul emphasized that the Palestinian Authority requires those funds to provide essential services in security, education and healthcare. "I therefore once again called for the release of the funds owed to the Palestinian Authority," he said.
The German foreign minister also renewed Berlin's criticism of Israeli plans to expand settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
"Settlement projects threaten to block the path to peace," he said. "For this reason, we view continued settlement construction with great concern. A de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank is internationally unacceptable and could not be legally recognized by Germany either."
