Latest news with #ChristianWagner
Daily Tribune
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Hundreds of Europeans repatriated from Israel
AFP | European countries on Wednesday repatriated hundreds of their citizens from Israel as its conflict with Iran raged, their respective foreign ministries said. Germany was expected to transport some 200 people via a commercial flight chartered in Jordan, its foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said. A second flight out of Amman was scheduled for Thursday, he added. In Rome, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said flights had been made available to Italian nationals wishing to leave Israel. Greece said it had repatriated 105 of its citizens plus a number of foreign nationals. "The people repatriated were transported to Athens from Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt, onboard C-130 and C-27 Greek air force planes," it said in a statement. Along with Greek citizens and their families, other people on the flight included citizens of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States, it said. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on X that a first group of Poles was able to return to their home country, with another flight scheduled for Thursday. In Sofia, a private plane with 148 evacuated people, including 89 Bulgarians, landed on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Foreigners have rushed to leave Israel after it launched an unprecedented bombing campaign last Friday targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, sparking retaliation from Tehran.
Al Arabiya
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Germany defends EU-Israel deal as ‘important forum' for talks
Germany on Wednesday defended an EU-Israel cooperation deal, a day after the bloc had ordered a review of it in a bid to pressure Israel over the Gaza war. Without explicitly confirming media reports that Berlin had opposed the review, foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said that 'the EU-Israel Association Agreement is an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions' over the situation in Gaza. The review announced on Tuesday comes as some European nations take a tougher line with Israel over the devastating impact of its offensive in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the territory. EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said 'a strong majority' of the 27 member states had backed the review. Diplomats said 17 EU states pressed for the review under an article of the agreement that calls for a respect for human rights, with the Netherlands spearheading the latest push. On Monday the leaders of Britain, France and Canada condemned Israel's 'egregious actions' in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt its heightened military offensive there. On Wednesday Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, reiterated Germany's 'great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza' but stopped short of mentioning any possible further action. Wagner also confirmed that on Tuesday nine German nationals had been evacuated from Gaza 'in close co-ordination with the Israeli government', together with three of their immediate family members.
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Germany defends EU-Israel agreement as 'important forum' for talks
Germany has defended a cooperation deal between the European Union and Israel, a day after the bloc ordered a review of it in a bid to pressure Israel over the war in Gaza. Without explicitly confirming media reports that Berlin had opposed the review, foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said that "the EU-Israel Association Agreement is an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions" over the situation in the territory. The review announced yesterday came as some European nations take a tougher line with Israel over the impact of its offensive in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis unfolding there. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said that "a strong majority" of the 27 member states had backed the review. Diplomats said that 17 countries pressed for the review under an article of the agreement that calls for a respect for human rights, with the Netherlands spearheading the latest push. On Monday. the leaders of the UK, France and Canada condemned Israel's "egregious actions" in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt its heightened military offensive. Yesterday, Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, reiterated Germany's "great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza" but stopped short of mentioning any possible further action. Mr Wagner also confirmed that nine German nationals had been evacuated from Gaza "in close coordination with the Israeli government", along with three of their immediate family members.
Business Recorder
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Germany defends EU-Israel deal as ‘important forum' for talks
BERLIN: Germany on Wednesday defended an EU-Israel cooperation deal, a day after the bloc had ordered a review of it in a bid to pressure Israel over the Gaza war. Without explicitly confirming media reports that Berlin had opposed the review, foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said that 'the EU-Israel Association Agreement is an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions' over the situation in Gaza. The review announced on Tuesday comes as some European nations take a tougher line with Israel over the devastating impact of its offensive in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the territory. Israel says 'external pressure will not divert' it after UK pauses trade talks EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said 'a strong majority' of the 27 member states had backed the review. Diplomats said 17 EU states pressed for the review under an article of the agreement that calls for a respect for human rights, with the Netherlands spearheading the latest push. On Monday the leaders of Britain, France and Canada condemned Israel's 'egregious actions' in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt its heightened military offensive there. On Wednesday Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, reiterated Germany's 'great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza' but stopped short of mentioning any possible further action. Wagner also confirmed that on Tuesday nine German nationals had been evacuated from Gaza 'in close co-ordination with the Israeli government', together with three of their immediate family members.
Nahar Net
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Berlin evacuating more than 20 Germans from Gaza
Berlin evacuating more than 20 Germans from Gaza The German government said Wednesday that it was evacuating around 24 of its nationals from the war-battered Gaza Strip. "There is currently an operation underway in close cooperation with the Israeli authorities to allow people to leave", foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner told journalists at a regular press conference. He said "roughly two dozen" Germans were leaving the territory. He added that there remained "a small, single-digit number" of other Germans whom the authorities were aware of in Gaza and who wish to leave. Earlier this month Germany said that 19 of its citizens and 14 of their relatives had been evacuated from Gaza. Israel has resumed intense aerial and ground assaults after a ceasefire deal that came into effect on January 19 fell apart two months later over differences regarding its next phase. Hundreds of thousands of people have since been displaced, and Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the country would keep blocking humanitarian aid from entering the territory.
