Middle East: Clerics visit Gaza after deadly church strike – DW – 07/18/2025
Merz, speaking at an annual summer press conference, said Israel's approach to Gaza is "no longer acceptable."
The chancellor called for an immediate ceasefire in the beleaguered enclave as the death toll there surpassed 58,000 this week.
He also called for more humanitarian assistance for those in Gaza — something that has been gravely hampered by Israel's decision to boot all international aid programs out of Gaza in favor of the highly controversial US-run and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which critics have called a cynical death trap for desperate Gazans seeking to find food for their families.
Merz said he is in regular contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he has offered to increase German aid to the enclave.Merz also noted that his government "does not support" Israel's settlement policy. adding that he clearly expressed that sentiment in his calls with Netanyahu.
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"It's clear where we stand. We are doing everything we can to do right by both sides [Israel and Palestinians in Gaza]," said Merz, noting that "the state of Israel would cease to exist" if it didn't defend itself. At the same time, said Merz, "We see the suffering of the Palestinian people and we are also trying to do all we can to deliver humanitarian assistance."
Germany, due to what it refers to as its historical responsibility toward the state of Israel, has been one of its staunchest supporters during its war in Gaza, providing significant diplomatic and military support.
Merz on Friday brushed off calls for the suspension of EU association agreements with Israel as well as firmly rejecting any equivalency between Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's approach to Gaza — stating that Russia had launched a war of aggression, whereas Israel was defending itself against Hamas.
Israel launched its military operations in Gaza and the wider Middle East after the Gaza-based Islamist group Hamas — listed as a terror organization by Israel, the US, EU and others — launched a surprise attack on October 7, 2023, leading to the deaths of some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and with another 250 being taken hostage.
Israel has killed more than 58,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to figures from the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The UN considers the figures largely reliable, but an independent survey published in the journal Nature in late June said the death toll was likely closer to 84,000.
The death toll from the violence in Syria's Sweida province continues to climb, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documenting at least 516 deaths since fighting broke out on July 13.
The UK-based war monitor reported the killing of 83 Druze civilians in streets across the southern province of Sweida and the surrounding countryside.
The observatory said Syrian government forces were responsible.
The head of the United Nations human rights office has called for Syria's interim authorities to ensure accountability and justice for the killings and rights violations.
"This bloodshed and the violence must stop, and the protection of all people must be the utmost priority, in line with international human rights law," OHCHR High Commissioner Volker Türk said in a statement.
Two of Jerusalem's most senior Christian clerics traveled to Gaza on Friday after a deadly Israeli strike on the Palestinian territory's only Catholic church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.
The Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and his Greek Orthodox counterpart, Theophilos III, led an "ecclesiastical delegation" to meet local Christians following Thursday's strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City.
The delegation "shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza," the Latin Patriarchate said.
"During their stay, the delegation will meet with members of the local Christian community, offer condolences and solidarity, and stand alongside those affected by the recent events."
Israel on Thursday said it "deeply" regretted striking the church.
"Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
Three people were killed and several others injured in the attack.
A church official said Pope Leo XIV was "deeply saddened" by the strike.
Calling the hit a "military attack," the Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said: "In commending the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, the Holy Father prays for the consolation of those who grieve and for the recovery of the injured."
Netanyahu's office said the Israeli prime minister was "grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort."
The church had become a shelter for Gaza's Christian community amid the conflict.
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An Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic Church on Thursday sparked international uproar, with Israel saying it "deeply regrets" the attack.
There was also a tense peace in Syria following fighting in Sweida between Syrian forces and local Druze militias that also saw Israel carry out strikes in Damascus the day before.
Follow along as DW brings you the latest reports, explainers and analysis on developments across the Middle East.
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