Germany, France, and UK Consider Joint Diplomatic Mission to Israel Amid Gaza Crisis
Germany, France & UK may send top diplomats to Israel next week amid Gaza famine crisis. Merz announces joint airlift with Jordan, but King Abdullah warns airdrops are 'a drop in the ocean' as Israel enacts daily aid pauses after months of blockade.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Tuesday that Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are contemplating dispatching their foreign ministers to Israel next week, as calls intensify for immediate humanitarian relief in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Speaking at a press conference in Berlin alongside Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Merz stated, “We will probably ask the three foreign ministers of France, the United Kingdom and Germany to travel to Israel together next Thursday to present the position of... the three governments.”
The potential diplomatic mission comes amid worsening famine-like conditions in Gaza, nearly 22 months into the ongoing conflict. The three European countries, long aligned with Israel on security matters, have grown increasingly vocal in their demands for an immediate scale-up of humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave, where Israel continues its military campaign against the militant group Hamas.
Last week, the governments of Germany, France, and the UK issued a joint statement calling for an end to what they described as the “humanitarian catastrophe” unfolding in Gaza.
“We assume that the Israeli government is willing to acknowledge that something must be done now,” Merz said on Tuesday.
Berlin-Amman airlift initiative
Merz, who has gradually adopted a more critical tone toward Israel’s military offensive, revealed on Monday evening that Germany would coordinate with Jordan to launch an airlift operation delivering humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
On Tuesday, he confirmed that two German military aircraft were already in route to Jordan and anticipated to begin airdrops “from the weekend at the latest, possibly even tomorrow.”
King Abdullah II, while welcoming the initiative, expressed skepticism about the scope of such measures. “Airdrops are just a drop in the ocean,” he said, underscoring the need for a larger and sustained ground-based delivery effort. He urged Israel to allow significantly more aid trucks into Gaza.
After enforcing a total blockade from March to May, Israel has come under mounting international pressure to ease restrictions. This week, it announced daily pauses in combat operations and opened secure corridors to enable the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to distribute urgently needed food and supplies.
Hundreds of aid trucks have started entering the territory, though humanitarian agencies continue to warn that the scale of assistance remains insufficient in light of the crisis.
Israel’s devastating campaign in Gaza began in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli territory. The ensuing military operations have led to widespread destruction and deepening humanitarian disaster across Gaza.
As international momentum builds for a political and humanitarian breakthrough, the proposed joint visit by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain could mark a significant moment in diplomatic engagement with Israel over the conflict’s dire consequences.
