Head of the Munich Security Conference Christoph Heusgen has criticised the Israeli government’s approach to the Gaza conflict, according to the German News Agency (DPA).
In an interview with the German newspaper Rheinische Post published on Friday, Heusgen noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues his strategy of decisively eliminating terrorists who threaten Israel’s existence without consideration for the hostages in their hands and without regard for the Americans who are calling for moderation.
Heusgen pointed out that the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in an attack in Tehran, Iran, could provoke a response from Iran.
He noted that Iran will have to respond to save face, expressing hope that Iran’s reaction would be measured.
He added that the spiral of escalation in the Middle East continues to spin and realistically, the German government has no capacity to influence anything.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated further since Israel killed a Hezbollah leader in a suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, last Tuesday evening.
Just hours later, Haniyeh was killed in Tehran. Iran and Hamas blame Israel for Haniyeh’s death and have threatened retaliation.
Norbert Röttgen, a foreign affairs expert for Germany’s Christian Democratic Union party, also voiced concerns about the heightened situation in the Middle East.
He said that in such a tense situation, things can spiral out of control unintentionally, and the balance of power will shift the moment Iran possesses the atomic bomb.
The German government has no influence over the situation but must prepare for potential escalation, for instance, regarding the protection of German citizens in the region.
