Latest news with #GermanForeignOffice
Al Bawaba
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
China blinds German spy plane over Red Sea with laser
ALBAWABA- In a provocative move, China targeted a German reconnaissance aircraft with a high-powered laser while it was flying over the Red Sea as part of the European Union's ASPIDES naval operation. Also Read Two Missing, two injured after ship attacked off Yemen The German plane was conducting surveillance on Houthi movements under the mission's stated aim of "protecting navigation." According to Berlin, the Chinese military's laser temporarily blinded the aircraft's systems, putting the crew's safety at serious risk and disrupting the mission. Germany's Foreign Ministry swiftly summoned the Chinese ambassador, condemning the act as "entirely unacceptable." In a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the ministry stated: "The Chinese military employed a laser targeting a German aircraft in the EU operation ASPIDES. Endangering German personnel & disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable. The Chinese ambassador was summoned to the Federal Foreign Office today." The Chinese military employed a laser targeting a German aircraft in the EU operation #ASPIDES. Endangering German personnel & disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable. The Chinese ambassador was summoned to the Federal Foreign Office today. — GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) July 8, 2025 This incident occurred just two days after Yemen's Houthi forces targeted a ship en route to Israel, claiming the vessel violated their imposed sanctions on Israeli ports. The timing of China's interference raises alarms, as it may be seen as an attempt to undermine Western naval efforts in the region, efforts that critics argue are less about maritime security and more about indirectly supporting Israel's military activities. China's action signals growing geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea, a vital but volatile maritime corridor now becoming a flashpoint for international rivalries.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German Foreign Minister Wadephul heads to Rome for talks on Ukraine
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is expected in Rome on Thursday for an international conference focused on EU security and the war in Ukraine. Hosted by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the meeting is taking place within the framework of the so-called Weimar Plus format. The group is an extension of the Weimar Triangle, which is made up of Germany, France and Poland. According to the German Foreign Office, both NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha will attend the conference. They are to be joined by representatives from Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, France and the European Union. The meeting is taking place less than a month before the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference, scheduled for July 10-11, at which some 2,000 representatives from politics, business and international organizations plan to discuss Ukraine's long-term prospects. After a bilateral meeting with Tajani, Wadephul's schedule sees him leave Rome for the Middle East on Thursday evening. Through Sunday, he plans to visit a host of countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. The Foreign Office said the focus of the trip to the region is the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and plans for a peaceful order in the territory after the end of the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Sky News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Gaza live: Germany and Ireland condemn Israel after 'warning shots' fired near diplomats in West Bank - as Gazans wait for aid
Germany and Ireland have condemned Israel after IDF troops fired "warning shots" near a group of diplomats visiting the West Bank. In Gaza, Palestinians are still waiting for desperately needed aid to reach them. Follow the latest below. 16:46:13 Footage shows diplomats flee as gunshots are fired in West Bank A developing story in the Israel-Gaza conflict today is the firing of gunshots by Israeli troops as European diplomats travelled through the West Bank. Footage has now emerged which shows diplomats fleeing as gunshots are heard. Germany and Ireland have condemned the shooting and said earlier that its diplomats were in the delegation. It is not clear if they feature in the video. 16:36:47 German foreign office condemns 'unprovoked gunfire' in West Bank The German foreign office has said one of its diplomats was in the European delegation travelling through the West Bank earlier when the Israeli army said it fired "warning shots". In our previous post we reported that Irish diplomats were also in the delegation. Condemning the gunfire, the German foreign office has said in a statement: "Near Jenin in the West Bank, shots were fired today by the Israeli army in the direction of a registered diplomatic delegation, including a German diplomat and a driver from the Representative Office in Ramallah. "The Federal Foreign Office strongly condemns this unprovoked gunfire. We are fortunate that nothing worse occurred. "The group was present in the West Bank as part of its diplomatic duties, coordinated with both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli army. The independent observer role of diplomats on the ground is indispensable and in no way poses a threat to Israel's security interests." The statement also said that the Israeli government "must urgently clarify the circumstances" and "respect the inviolability of diplomatic personnel". German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will make those points clear to his Israeli counterpart, the statement adds. What has Israel said? The Israeli army confirmed its troops "fired warning shots" after a diplomatic delegation in the West Bank "deviated" from an approved route. The Palestinian Authority said earlier that a group of regional, European and Western diplomats had gathered to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the delegation went into "an area where it was prohibited from staying". It said troops "fired warning shots", and that there was no damage or casualties reported. 16:03:57 Irish diplomats among European delegation in West Bank when Israel 'fired warning shots' Two Irish diplomats were among the European delegation that shots were fired in the vicinity of by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Ireland's government said. The Israeli army confirmed earlier that its troops "fired warning shots" after a diplomatic delegation "deviated" from an approved route in the West Bank (see 13:39 post). Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris condemned the incident "in the strongest terms" and said it was "completely unacceptable". "I am shocked and appalled at reports that the IDF fired shots in the vicinity of a visit to Jenin today by a group of diplomats, including two Irish diplomats based in Ramallah," Harris said in a statement. "Fortunately, no one was hurt. This is completely unacceptable and I condemn it in the strongest terms." 15:55:06 'You are the real winner': Netanyahu speaks with Israel's Eurovision runner-up As world leaders condemn Israel's latest military offensive in Gaza, the country's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been speaking to its Eurovision contestant Yuval Rafael. Raphael, who survived the 7 October 2023 attacks which were the catalyst for Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza, was the runner-up with piano ballad New Day Will Rise, performed in Hebrew, French and English during Saturday's final. Netanyahu has now shared a video on X of himself speaking with Raphael in Hebrew. In the post, the Israeli prime minister wrote: "You brought immense pride to the people of Israel, you raised the country's ray in a moment of light amidst darkness. "You are the real winner." Raphael was left "shaken and upset" after two pro-Palestinian protesters rushed towards her during her performance in the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland. Organisers confirmed a backstage crew member was hit with paint but was not hurt. You can read more about that in the story below. 15:24:01 Palestinian leader welcomes international pressure on Israel Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed the international pressure being put on Israel to bring more aid into Gaza. The UK, Canada and France released a statement on Monday threatening action against Israel if it continues its "egregious" expansion of military operations in Gaza and urging it to "immediately allow" aid to enter the enclave. It comes as the EU's top diplomat says foreign ministers will discuss whether to suspend its association agreement with Israel amid the "catastrophic" scenes in Gaza. "We extend our thanks," Abbas says. "Our sincere gratitude to all countries and peoples calling for an end to the war of extermination and the delivery of aid to our people." "They all rejected the policies of blockade, starvation, displacement and land seizure," he adds. "It is no longer possible to remain silent in the face of the crimes of genocide, destruction, and starvation perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces." 14:52:12 'No flour, no food, no water': Gaza still waiting for aid "There is no flour, no food, no water," Sabah Warsh Agha, a 67-year-old woman from the northern Gazan town of Beit Lahiya, has said. "We used to get water from the pump, now the pump has stopped working. There is no diesel or gas." Palestinians in the enclave are still waiting for the promised arrival of food, despite mounting international and domestic pressure on Israel to allow more aid across the border. Fewer than 100 aid trucks have entered Gaza, according to Israel's latest figures, since Monday, when Benjamin Netanyahu's government agreed to lift an 11-week aid blockade. And with air strikes continuing to pound the enclave, local bakers and transport operators said they had yet to see fresh supplies of flour and other essentials. Abdel-Nasser Al-Ajramy, the head of the bakery owners' society, said at least 25 bakeries that were told they would receive flour from the World Food Programme had seen nothing. 14:24:22 UK sending £4m aid package to Gaza The UK has announced £4m of new humanitarian support for Gaza. The government says the package will cover essential medicines and medical supplies for up to 32,000 people, safe drinking water for up to 60,000 people and food parcels for up to 14,000 people. The money is to be given to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through its partner, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. It comes after David Lammy yesterday announced new sanctions hitting violent West Bank settlers, paused free trade agreement negotiations with Israel and called Israel's actions "egregious" and "intolerable". Announcing the package, Jenny Chapman, development minister, said: "The UK is clear - Israel will not achieve security through prolonging the suffering of the Palestinian people." 14:20:01 Merz 'very concerned' about Gaza situation Friedrich Merz is "very concerned" about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, his spokesperson says. The German chancellor is in close contact with other European nations to convey his worries to the Israeli government, Stefan Kornelius added. "It is always important for the German government to keep its lines of communication open with the Israeli government and to be able to make its points directly," he said at a government news conference. 13:57:01 In pictures: Gazans queue for food as aid supplies stuck Here are the latest images from Gaza City, where Palestinians desperately wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen. As we've been reporting, humanitarian aid trucks have slowly entered Gaza in the past two days but the UN says supplies are yet to reach civilians due to new "long, complex" Israeli security protocols. 13:39:43 IDF says it 'fired warning shots' after diplomats 'deviated from approved route' in West Bank The Israeli army has confirmed its troops "fired warning shots" after a diplomatic delegation in the West Bank "deviated" from an approved route. The Palestinian Authority said earlier that a group of regional, European and Western diplomats had gathered to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the delegation went into "an area where it was prohibited from staying". It said troops "fired warning shots", and that there was no damage or casualties reported. The IDF's statement says officers from the unit "will soon hold personal conversations with the diplomats" and update them on the findings of the investigation looking into the matter. It says the IDF "regrets the inconvenience caused".
Sky News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Gaza live: 'No flour, no food, no water' - Gazans wait for aid as Israeli activists arrested blocking trucks
16:36:47 German foreign office condemns 'unprovoked gunfire' in West Bank The German foreign office has said one of its diplomats was in the European delegation travelling through the West Bank earlier when the Israeli army said it fired "warning shots". In our previous post we reported that Irish diplomats were also in the delegation. Condemning the gunfire, the German foreign office has said in a statement: "Near Jenin in the West Bank, shots were fired today by the Israeli army in the direction of a registered diplomatic delegation, including a German diplomat and a driver from the Representative Office in Ramallah. "The Federal Foreign Office strongly condemns this unprovoked gunfire. We are fortunate that nothing worse occurred. "The group was present in the West Bank as part of its diplomatic duties, coordinated with both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli army. The independent observer role of diplomats on the ground is indispensable and in no way poses a threat to Israel's security interests." The statement also said that the Israeli government "must urgently clarify the circumstances" and "respect the inviolability of diplomatic personnel". German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will make those points clear to his Israeli counterpart, the statement adds. What has Israel said? The Israeli army confirmed its troops "fired warning shots" after a diplomatic delegation in the West Bank "deviated" from an approved route. The Palestinian Authority said earlier that a group of regional, European and Western diplomats had gathered to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the delegation went into "an area where it was prohibited from staying". It said troops "fired warning shots", and that there was no damage or casualties reported. 16:03:57 Irish diplomats among European delegation in West Bank when Israel 'fired warning shots' Two Irish diplomats were among the European delegation that shots were fired in the vicinity of by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Ireland's government said. The Israeli army confirmed earlier that its troops "fired warning shots" after a diplomatic delegation "deviated" from an approved route in the West Bank (see 13:39 post). Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris condemned the incident "in the strongest terms" and said it was "completely unacceptable". "I am shocked and appalled at reports that the IDF fired shots in the vicinity of a visit to Jenin today by a group of diplomats, including two Irish diplomats based in Ramallah," Harris said in a statement. "Fortunately, no one was hurt. This is completely unacceptable and I condemn it in the strongest terms." 15:55:06 'You are the real winner': Netanyahu speaks with Israel's Eurovision runner-up As world leaders condemn Israel's latest military offensive in Gaza, the country's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been speaking to its Eurovision contestant Yuval Rafael. Raphael, who survived the 7 October 2023 attacks which were the catalyst for Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza, was the runner-up with piano ballad New Day Will Rise, performed in Hebrew, French and English during Saturday's final. Netanyahu has now shared a video on X of himself speaking with Raphael in Hebrew. In the post, the Israeli prime minister wrote: "You brought immense pride to the people of Israel, you raised the country's ray in a moment of light amidst darkness. "You are the real winner." Raphael was left "shaken and upset" after two pro-Palestinian protesters rushed towards her during her performance in the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland. Organisers confirmed a backstage crew member was hit with paint but was not hurt. You can read more about that in the story below. 15:24:01 Palestinian leader welcomes international pressure on Israel Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed the international pressure being put on Israel to bring more aid into Gaza. The UK, Canada and France released a statement on Monday threatening action against Israel if it continues its "egregious" expansion of military operations in Gaza and urging it to "immediately allow" aid to enter the enclave. It comes as the EU's top diplomat says foreign ministers will discuss whether to suspend its association agreement with Israel amid the "catastrophic" scenes in Gaza. "We extend our thanks," Abbas says. "Our sincere gratitude to all countries and peoples calling for an end to the war of extermination and the delivery of aid to our people." "They all rejected the policies of blockade, starvation, displacement and land seizure," he adds. "It is no longer possible to remain silent in the face of the crimes of genocide, destruction, and starvation perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces." 14:52:12 'No flour, no food, no water': Gaza still waiting for aid "There is no flour, no food, no water," Sabah Warsh Agha, a 67-year-old woman from the northern Gazan town of Beit Lahiya, has said. "We used to get water from the pump, now the pump has stopped working. There is no diesel or gas." Palestinians in the enclave are still waiting for the promised arrival of food, despite mounting international and domestic pressure on Israel to allow more aid across the border. Fewer than 100 aid trucks have entered Gaza, according to Israel's latest figures, since Monday, when Benjamin Netanyahu's government agreed to lift an 11-week aid blockade. And with air strikes continuing to pound the enclave, local bakers and transport operators said they had yet to see fresh supplies of flour and other essentials. Abdel-Nasser Al-Ajramy, the head of the bakery owners' society, said at least 25 bakeries that were told they would receive flour from the World Food Programme had seen nothing. 14:24:22 UK sending £4m aid package to Gaza The UK has announced £4m of new humanitarian support for Gaza. The government says the package will cover essential medicines and medical supplies for up to 32,000 people, safe drinking water for up to 60,000 people and food parcels for up to 14,000 people. The money is to be given to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through its partner, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. It comes after David Lammy yesterday announced new sanctions hitting violent West Bank settlers, paused free trade agreement negotiations with Israel and called Israel's actions "egregious" and "intolerable". Announcing the package, Jenny Chapman, development minister, said: "The UK is clear - Israel will not achieve security through prolonging the suffering of the Palestinian people." 14:20:01 Merz 'very concerned' about Gaza situation Friedrich Merz is "very concerned" about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, his spokesperson says. The German chancellor is in close contact with other European nations to convey his worries to the Israeli government, Stefan Kornelius added. "It is always important for the German government to keep its lines of communication open with the Israeli government and to be able to make its points directly," he said at a government news conference. 13:57:01 In pictures: Gazans queue for food as aid supplies stuck Here are the latest images from Gaza City, where Palestinians desperately wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen. As we've been reporting, humanitarian aid trucks have slowly entered Gaza in the past two days but the UN says supplies are yet to reach civilians due to new "long, complex" Israeli security protocols. 13:39:43 IDF says it 'fired warning shots' after diplomats 'deviated from approved route' in West Bank The Israeli army has confirmed its troops "fired warning shots" after a diplomatic delegation in the West Bank "deviated" from an approved route. The Palestinian Authority said earlier that a group of regional, European and Western diplomats had gathered to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the delegation went into "an area where it was prohibited from staying". It said troops "fired warning shots", and that there was no damage or casualties reported. The IDF's statement says officers from the unit "will soon hold personal conversations with the diplomats" and update them on the findings of the investigation looking into the matter. It says the IDF "regrets the inconvenience caused". 13:00:01 Israel says 115 'terror targets' struck across Gaza in 24 hours The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) says its air force struck 115 "terror targets" throughout Gaza over the past day. "The targets included launchers, military structures, tunnels, terrorist cells, and additional terrorist infrastructure site," it said. The IDF also says it killed a Hamas militant that it says was part of the 7 October 2023 attack.
LBCI
10-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
India-Pakistan truce 'first important step': Germany
Germany, on Saturday, welcomed as a first step the full and immediate ceasefire agreed to by India and Pakistan after days of deadly attacks. "The ceasefire agreed between #India and #Pakistan is a first, important step out of the escalation spiral. Dialogue is key," the German foreign office said in a post on the X social media. AFP
