German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on “Israel” to abide by international law, amid growing concerns over Israel’s planned ground operation in the city of Rafah.
At the Munich Security Conference, Scholz showed support for the Israeli occupation but shed light on how it should adhere to international law, stating: “Israel has the right to defend their own country, and this is what the United States, and what Germany and many others are just stating.”
“We are also very clear on the things that are important to be said. So first that humanitarian aid has to get to Gaza, and more as we see today. Second, that the way the war is handled is according to international law,” he stressed.
Scholz also stated that his government has been expressing its concerns to the Israeli occupation government and stressing their responsibility to adhere to international law.
“We are asking that they do so, and we are constantly discussing this question, and there’s good reason for doing so, and it is something which is so important for all of us,” he emphasized.
Israel, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in its destructive war on the Gaza Strip, forced around 1.3 million Palestinians in the northern and central parts of the Strip to flee to the city of Rafah, near Egypt.
Israel currently announces its intention to invade Rafah, the densely populated southern area, after forcibly evacuating residents from the north and directing them southward, claiming it is a “safe zone.”