Germany will decide whether to support sanctions against Israel ahead of the European Union (EU) meeting in Copenhagen in October, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday during a visit to Madrid.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Merz said Israel’s operations in Gaza were not proportional to its stated objectives, but Germany did not regard them as acts of genocide. He added that recognising Palestinian statehood was not currently on Germany’s agenda.
Merz’s comments indicate that while Germany is open to criticising Israel, it remains hesitant to take punitive measures against the country.
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed suspending a trade agreement covering €5.8 billion of Israeli exports due to the Gaza conflict. However, the measure currently lacks sufficient support among EU member states.
Merz stated: “We will revisit these issues at the federal cabinet level next week and aim to present Germany’s final position at the informal Council meeting in Copenhagen on 1 October.”
Germany maintains it has a special responsibility towards Israel, though the death of nearly 64,000 Palestinians in the Gaza conflict has caused concern across Europe.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks are advancing in two key areas leading to Gaza City’s centre, and internet and phone lines have been cut, signalling a likely escalation of ground operations.
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A strong earthquake struck Russia's far eastern Kamchatka region, the regional governor said on Friday, prompting a series of tsunami warnings in the region, but there were for the moment no reports of damage.
At least five people were killed and one injured in an explosion on Thursday in Chaman, a town in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province near the Afghan border, local media report.
European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, visited the recently liberated village of Sarijali in Aghdam today. During her visit, she inspected mined areas and observed demining operations carried out by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA).
A meeting of the government leaders of Turkic Council (TCT) member states has begun in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers reported. Prior to the event, Adylbek Kasymaliyev, the Chairman of the Kyrgyz Cabinet and Head of the Presidential Administration, welcomed the heads of the delegations.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
Japanese conservative politician Sanae Takaichi on Thursday announced her candidacy for the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a move that could make her the country’s first female prime minister, Kyodo News reported.
The world’s two largest economies, the United States and China, remain mired in a trade war, with experts suggesting that a call scheduled for Friday between the two leaders is likely to address issues including the social media app TikTok, tariffs, and technology.
World leaders are set to gather next week in New York for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. Key issues on the agenda include a speech by US President Donald Trump, the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, increasing Western recognition of a Palestinian state, and nuclear tensions with I
Fifty-two Members of the European Parliament from 15 countries on Thursday called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to bar Israel from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
A strong earthquake struck Russia's far eastern Kamchatka region, the regional governor said on Friday, prompting a series of tsunami warnings in the region, but there were for the moment no reports of damage.
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