The New York Times reported on Tuesday that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held several phone conversations—some of them described as tense and angry—with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks, as the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip worsens.
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According to a German official cited by the newspaper, Merz urged Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
The report added that Merz joined French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump last Monday. During the call, the leaders urged Trump to put pressure on Netanyahu to ease the humanitarian situation.
Merz specifically emphasized to Trump the need to pressure Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, where people are dying of hunger.
The paper also pointed out that German public opinion has turned sharply against Israel over the past year, as the devastating war on Gaza continues. At the same time, German political parties are increasingly calling for an end to arms exports to Tel Aviv.
This shift comes shortly after German Foreign Minister Johann Vadvol visited Israel last week, where he met with Israeli officials to urge them to facilitate the delivery of aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
While Israel has permitted the German military to carry out air-drops of humanitarian aid over Gaza, the German government released a statement following Vadvol’s return to Berlin, noting that there has been only “slight initial progress” in humanitarian delivery efforts. However, the statement stressed that such progress is “far from sufficient to alleviate the state of emergency” in the region.
