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Germany to 'Israel' on letting aid into Gaza: 'No more excuses'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Apr 2024 15:42
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The German Foreign Minister, once again, stresses the urgent need for aid in Gaza but votes against a UN resolution to halt arms supplies to "Israel".

German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock attends a meeting in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday, November 11, 2023. (AP)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insisted, on Friday, that "Israel" should no longer offer justifications for delaying the delivery of aid to Gaza, following the Israeli government's claims of plans to open additional routes for aid into the Palestinian territory.

"The people in Gaza need every aid package now... We expect the Israeli government to implement its announcements quickly," Baerbock said on X.

"No more excuses," she stressed.

Die Menschen in #Gaza brauchen jetzt jedes Hilfspaket. Deshalb haben wir intensiv auf die Öffnung des Grenzübergangs #Erez & des Hafens #Aschdod für Hilfslieferungen hingearbeitet. Wir erwarten, dass die israelische Regierung ihre Ankündigungen rasch umsetzt. Keine Ausreden mehr.
— Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock (@ABaerbock) April 5, 2024

In a similar context, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry remarked on Friday that the assaults resulting in the Israeli killing of seven food aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity organization in Gaza reflected negatively on the behavior of the Israeli military.

This comes shortly after the primary UN organization in Gaza, UNRWA, cautioned previously that famine was approaching.

"The clock is ticking fast toward famine and UNRWA must be allowed to do its work, and reach the north on a regular basis with food and nutrition supplies," the agency said.

While Germany calls for aid, it is against halting arms to "Israel". Diplomatic sources informed Al Mayadeen, on Thursday, that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged NATO allies to block a draft UN resolution calling for an immediate cessation of arms exports to "Israel".

According to the sources, Baerbock reportedly told her counterparts during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at its headquarters in Brussels to pressure their governments into voting against the arms embargo resolution, which was submitted to the Human Rights Council on Wednesday.

Pakistan proposed the draft resolution on behalf of 55 of the 56 UN member nations in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), except Albania. Bolivia, Cuba, and the Palestinian Mission in Geneva have all co-sponsored the document.

Germany's move comes after information indicated that several European countries, including France, Belgium, and Spain, were planning to vote in favor of the resolution, while others may abstain, which could potentially lead to the resolution being adopted by a comfortable majority.

It is worth noting that the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) annual study issued in March revealed that sixty-nine percent of "Israel's" arms acquisitions in 2023 came from US corporations, 30% came from Germany, and 0.9% from Italy.