German FM offers qualified support for Israeli offensive in Lebanon

Germany's foreign minister Tuesday offered qualified support for Israel's military invasion of Lebanon during a visit of his Israeli counterpart to Berlin, while also criticizing humanitarian conditions in Gaza and "de facto annexation" in the West Bank.

Johann Wadephul underscored Germany's staunch support after a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, but said close alliances would not "avoid difficult topics".

In Lebanon, the Israeli military has continued strikes despite a truce, and declared a 10-kilometer (six-mile) exclusion zone near the border off-limits to Lebanese residents and the press.

Saar defended the continued fighting, arguing that Israel needed to destroy Hezbollah and other militant groups operating in the area who have launched attacks on Israel.

But Saar said he offered Wadephul assurances that "Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon".

"Our presence in the areas by our northern border has one goal: to protect our citizens," Saar said.

Wadephul endorsed that stance, calling Israel's ongoing invasion "necessary".

"There's every right for Israel to be there," Wadephul said.

But Wadephul also warned that "Lebanon must not be allowed to become a theatre of war where it is the civilians who pay the price" and said that "a younger generation growing up amidst the ruins of their parents' homes" would not make Israel any safer.

Wadephul condemned Hezbollah attacks on Israel "in the strongest possible terms" and said direct talks between Israel and the Lebanese government offer "hope".

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Israeli strikes have killed nearly 2,700 people and injured more than 8,200 since March 2, when Hezbollah drew the country into the regional war with attacks on Israel.

In the devastated Gaza Strip, Wadephul stressed that "humanitarian aid must be significantly improved as a matter of urgency" and contended that stabilising conditions in the territory "also contributes to Israel's security."

Wadephul said Berlin has "great concern" about Israeli settlement policy and violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

"We cannot accept a de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank," Wadephul said. "We unequivocally condemn the violence perpetrated by some settlers in the West Bank against the Palestinian civilian population. And we expect the Israeli justice system to prosecute these crimes."

At the same time, he praised German-Israeli cooperation, particularly in defense and technology sectors.

Germany has long been among Israel's staunchest allies, something Berlin has grounded in the country's responsibility for the Holocaust.