German chancellor Angela Merkel assured her Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, during a phone call on Monday that her federal government is in full solidarity with Israel in its newly escalated conflict with the radical Islamic Hamas. She also urged putting a swift end to the worst Israeli-Palestinian violence in years, given that many civilian lives were lost "on both sides".
"The Chancellor once again condemned the continued rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel and assured the Prime Minister of the solidarity of the Federal Government," German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert stated, adding that "the federal government will continue to take decisive action against protests in Germany that spread hatred and anti-Semitism".
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked the chancellor for the support and the actions against antisemitic elements in Germany and pointed out that Hamas has been committing a "double war crime" by hurting the Israeli civilian population with missiles and using Gaza citizens as human shields.
