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Germany on Wednesday slammed Israel’s decision to call up 60,000 reservists in Gaza, calling instead for “an immediate and lasting ceasefire,” Anadolu reports.
“We reject the escalation of these military operations. We call on all parties and the international community to end the conflict now through an immediate and lasting ceasefire,” Steffen Meyer, deputy government spokesman, told a press briefing in Berlin.
“We continue to push for this ceasefire with all the means at our disposal and at the same time increase the pressure for the release of all hostages,” he added.
Meyer was referring to Israeli plans to call up 60,000 reservist soldiers to fight in Gaza under an occupation plan, local media reported on Wednesday.
The army’s decision came after Defense Minister Israel Katz approved a plan to occupy Gaza City, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Wednesday.
READ: 28 children die daily in Gaza due to malnutrition and lack of medicine: Officials report
The broadcaster said the regular troops operating in the Gaza Strip would also have their tours of duty extended.
According to Israeli army radio, the number of reservists within the army will rise to 130,000 in total in preparation for “a prolonged operation that will last several months” until mid-2026 – belying any chance for a ceasefire.
‘Stop settlement construction’
In related news, the German government again reiterated its opposition to Israel’s plans to construct thousands of new settler units that would effectively split the West Bank into two disconnected parts.
We “strongly reject” the E1 settlement project,” Josef Hinterseher, a deputy foreign ministry spokesperson, told journalists in Berlin.
“As far as we know, the (Israeli) building authority has granted the permit today. The German government’s position is clear: we firmly reject this permit. Settlement construction violates international law and the relevant UN Security Council resolution.”
“It hampers a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as demanded by the International Court of Justice,” he added, urging Israel “to stop settlement construction.”
Israeli media reported last week that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved the construction of 3,401 settler units in Ma’ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and 3,515 more in surrounding areas. The project aims to split the West Bank into two parts, severing connections between its northern and southern cities and isolating East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced the move as part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vision for a “Greater Israel,” warning that it would entrench the occupation and eliminate the viability of a Palestinian state.
The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In an advisory opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
READ: US sanctions 4 ICC judges, deputy prosecutors over Netanyahu arrest warrants
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