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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The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The girl suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and back, while a classmate who tried to protect her was also hurt.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
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