VIENNA – The foreign ministers of Germany and Austria on Thursday pressed the Zionist entity to immediately improve humanitarian access to Gaza and warned against any plans to forcibly relocate Palestinians from the besieged territory.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Vienna following a trilateral meeting, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger stressed that a long-term solution must include political prospects for the Palestinian people. “There can be no lasting peace without a perspective for the Palestinians. The long-term goal must remain a two-state solution,” she emphasized.
Meinl-Reisinger also voiced alarm over reports that the Zionist entity and the US are working on plans to expel Palestinians from Gaza and permanently occupy the territory. “From Austria’s perspective, Gaza must remain Palestinian,” she warned. “Israel is bound by international law in its legitimate fight against terrorism.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul echoed these concerns, highlighting the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza. “We are all deeply concerned about the hunger and deaths in Gaza. Children are dying of starvation. This concerns us all,” he said.
Wadephul urged the Zionist entity to urgently facilitate more aid into Gaza, noting that current deliveries are “far below the minimum required.” He expressed hope that recent EU-mediated agreements with the Zionist entity would lead to an easing of the crisis.
Since the Zionist entity began its military operation in Gaza in October 2023, over 57,700 Palestinians have been killed and more than 100,000 wounded, most of them women and children. The International Court of Justice is currently reviewing a genocide case against the Zionist entity over its actions in Gaza, where nearly 1.9 million Palestinians remain displaced amid severe shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials.
