Spahn (CDU/CSU) justified Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s measure by pointing out that expanding Israeli military operations would exacerbate civilian suffering.
The decision, announced on August 8, responds to the plan approved by the Israeli cabinet to expand its military control in Gaza, which has left 61,599 Palestinians dead and more than 154,000 wounded, according to local authorities.
Analysts see the measure as a shift in Berlin’s traditional pro-Israeli stance, although the government insists it is temporary and seeks to push for humanitarian solutions.
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