German Chancellor Friedrich Merz taking part in a press conference on domestic and foreign policy in Berlin on July 18, 2025. (Credit: Tobias Schwarz/AFP)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call on Friday that he hoped for a "speedy cease-fire" in war-torn Gaza, Berlin said.
Merz also "stressed that the urgently needed humanitarian aid must now reach the people in the Gaza Strip safely and humanely" and that the "disarmament of Hamas was imperative," his office said in a statement.
"The chancellor expressed his hope for a speedy cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. All remaining Hamas hostages, including those with German citizenship, must be released immediately."
The statement added that Merz "advocated for finding a viable post-war order for Gaza that takes into account Israeli security needs and the Palestinian right to self-determination."
The chancellor also "emphasised that there should be no steps towards annexing the West Bank."
Speaking earlier at a Berlin press conference, Merz labelled the events in Gaza as "no longer acceptable."
He also emphasised Germany's commitment to Israel's security, saying, "We are doing everything we can to do justice to both sides, it is clear where we stand."
"But we also see the suffering of the Palestinian population and are trying to do everything possible to provide humanitarian aid here as well."
More than 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's population, displacing most residents at least once and triggering severe shortages of food and other essentials.
The war was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58,667 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
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