The United Nations Security Council has called for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The Security Council unanimously agreed on a statement to this end. In a radio interview Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has demanded a truce.
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"We must work to bring about a truce as swiftly as possible," declared Frank-Walter Steinmeier during a radio interview for Deutschlandfunk on 27 July.
He went on to say that he welcomed Egypt’s involvement in efforts to resolve the conflict. "We will not manage, however, without other parts of the Arab League," underscored the Federal Foreign Minister. Countries like Qatar will have to become involved in moves to get Hamas to accept a ceasefire.
It is essential to ensure that rockets and other heavy military equipment are no longer stored in schools and hospitals in the Gaza Strip and that the civilian population are no longer used as hostages. Only then are there any prospects of a lasting truce, said the minister. Steps must also be initiated to demilitarise the Gaza Strip.
Any ceasefire will only last, in his opinion, if it goes hand in hand with tangible improvements to living conditions in Gaza. Israel must be willing to take this step.
The foreign ministers of the USA, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Turkey, as well as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, met in Paris on Saturday 26 July. They called for an extension of the humanitarian pause.
Here too Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed that a pause of this sort must be used to get humanitarian supplies to the people in the Gaza Strip and to prepare negotiations for a durable ceasefire.
"The ceasefire will only be durable if Gaza ceases to be used as an arsenal for Hamas and if the people in Gaza see sustainable improvements in their living conditions," said the minister. The ceasefire cannot hold unless the Palestinian Authority assumes responsibility for governing Gaza and the authority for controlling the borders is returned to this Authority, he added.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has already underlined the fact that Germany stands beside Israel when it is called on to defend itself.
Every country must be able to defend itself it if is attacked, said the Chancellor at a press conference on the meeting of the European Council on 17 July 2014 in Brussels. She did, however, stress that "a sense of proportion" must be retained.
On 9 July in a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Chancellor condemned the rocket attacks on Israel in the strongest possible terms. The German government is convinced that efforts must be pursued to achieve a two-state solution for the region.