German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as tragic, urging Israel to open all border crossings to allow humanitarian aid into the coastal enclave. She noted that the amount of aid entering Gaza has reached unprecedented lows over the past twelve months and criticized Israel for failing to fulfill its repeated promises regarding aid delivery.
Baerbock emphasized that a significant portion of Gaza's over two million residents suffer from acute malnutrition and live under unimaginable conditions. She pointed out the alarming number of children in the region who have suffered amputations, highlighting the dire state of infrastructure in Gaza.
As winter approaches, Baerbock stressed the urgent need to release hostages held by Hamas and to provide immediate assistance to civilians, including food, water, medicine, hygiene products, and tents. She insisted that all border crossings to Gaza must be opened for humanitarian aid and reiterated that Israel's right to self-defense is constrained by international humanitarian law, which includes ensuring humanitarian access at all times. Baerbock called for a ceasefire, stating that without it, suffering and death will continue for both hostages and families in Gaza.
In a related development, the 'Islamic Resistance in Iraq,' which includes Iran-aligned factions, claimed responsibility for launching four drone attacks targeting northern and southern Israel. The group issued statements confirming the strikes as part of their ongoing resistance efforts in support of Palestinians and Lebanese.
The Israeli firefighting service reported efforts to extinguish fires in Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, caused by debris from interception missiles or rockets. They are conducting additional scans in the area to ensure no further fires or damage have occurred as a result of the attacks. The Israeli military has not provided additional information regarding the incidents.