German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sissi German help with efforts to secure the release of hostages kidnapped from Israel by the Islamist militant group Hamas, writes German news agency DPA.
“We are making every effort to secure their release,” Scholz said in a joint press conference with al-Sissi in Cairo on Wednesday.
Scholz said that “touching conversations” with the relatives of some of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza had reinforced his resolve and underscored the urgency of efforts to free them.
Scholz stressed that the release of hostages, which include several German citizens, must happen “without conditions.”
Scholz, who is visiting Egypt, thanked al-Sissi for his efforts to de-escalate and mediate in the war between Hamas and Israel. He also called for swift humanitarian aid for people in the sealed-off Gaza Strip.
“The Palestinians are not Hamas. And Hamas has no right to speak for the Palestinians,” Scholz said.
Germany’s goal, he said, is to protect civilians in the coastal strip and to do something about the human suffering. He called for humanitarian access to Gaza as soon as possible.
“The people there need water, food and medicine,” Scholz said.
The chancellor assured the Egyptian leader: “We will not leave the people alone. The German government will continue its humanitarian commitment to Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population.”
Israel declared a “total siege” of Gaza, cutting off electricity, water and other supplies to the narrow Palestinian coastal enclave following the unprecedented Hamas attacks on Israel 11 days ago. Repeated retaliatory Israeli strikes on Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas, have killed at least 3,200 Palestinians so far, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Israeli actions came in response to coordinated Hamas attacks on Israel launched from Gaza on October 7 that killed at least 1,400 people, the vast majority civilians.
