Germany’s Baerbock calls for immediate cease-fire in Gaza, ahead of her Israel visit

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, and warned that a further escalation in the Middle East would be a "catastrophe" for all the people in the region.

Speaking to reporters during an EU meeting in Luxembourg, Baerbock said she will be heading to Israel later in the day to discuss diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire in Gaza, and ways to increase humanitarian aid for Palestinians.

"We're thinking of the hostages, the images from Gaza, they are heartbreaking. That's why it's definitely not an option for us, and our partners, to bury our heads in the sand now, we need this cease-fire," Baerbock said, and underlined that more should be done to end the suffering of Palestinian civilians.

"It is absolutely clear that Israel can only live in safety if Palestinians live in safety, and Palestinians can only live in safety if Israel is secure," she said.

Baerbock called on the Palestinian Hamas group to release all the Israeli captives and accept the cease-fire proposal backed by US President Joe Biden last month.

She underlined that a cease-fire in Gaza is "more urgently needed than ever before" amid the latest developments in the region, and growing tensions between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

"I will be travelling to the region again, I will also be visiting Lebanon, because the situation on the Blue Line in the north of Israel is more than worrying, a further escalation would be a catastrophe for all people in the region. That is why it is so important that we finally achieve the cease-fire in Gaza," she said.