Scholz To Press For More Gaza Aid On Jordan, Israel Visit

Berlin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Mar, 2024) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to travel to Jordan and Israel over the weekend to lobby for more aid to be delivered to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, his spokesman said Friday.

"Humanitarian efforts must be significantly improved... that is what (Scholz) will make clear in his talks in Israel," the chancellor's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said at a regular press conference.

The German leader will also reiterate his warning against a ground offensive in Rafah, said the spokesman.

Scholz is due to hold discussions with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Saturday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on Sunday.

The chancellor's visit to Israel is his second since Palestinian group triggered the conflict in Gaza when it launched a cross-border attack on October 7.

Efforts to get food and other aid into the Palestinian territory have grown, including by air and sea, but fighting rages on after mediators failed to reach a truce for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Earlier in the week Germany said it would join an operation initiated by Jordan to airdrop aid into the Gaza Strip. Berlin has also said it will also support efforts to deliver much-needed aid by sea.

"What comes via the air bridge or the sea bridge is at best the second best solution," Hebestreit said, urging more aid deliveries over land.

"We stand close by Israel's side, but we also clearly demand that all commitments under international law are met," Hebestreit said.