ShareKUWAIT: As the Zionist entity continues to strike Lebanon despite reaching a ceasefire agreement, German Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian issues Deike Potzel said there is “still hope” for the deal to work. “There needs to – should be some sort of a mechanism to observe the ceasefire and that it is really adhered to,” she told reporters at a press conference Wednesday, without specifying the steps needed to ensure that happens.
The Zionist entity has violated its ceasefire agreement with Lebanon over 100 times since its implementation last Wednesday, according to a source from the UN peacekeeping force who spoke to CNN on Monday. The breaches have been consistent, with reports from Yedioth Ahronoth stating that France had recorded 52 violations by the entity last weekend. The Zionist entity continues to defend its actions, claiming they are a response to Hezbollah’s violations of the ceasefire, though no evidence has been provided to support these claims. Potzel said the committee in charge of overseeing the ceasefire “will have the opportunity to start working properly, and that it guarantees that the ceasefire will be observed.”
She voiced concern about the situation in Syria, where rebels have been fighting government forces and capturing key cities. “We have been in terms of humanitarian assistance been steadfast and supporting also people in Syria ... We are hopeful that the situation will not further escalate but it is of huge concern of course. We are also concerned with regards to the hundreds of thousands of refugees that fled from Lebanon back to Syria and that are now in an impossible situation once again.”
Support for UNRWA
Overall, Germany is heartbroken and worried about the situation in the Middle East, specifically in Gaza, said Potzel. “We have been asking for a ceasefire for months, and we do hope that there will be progress in terms of a ceasefire,” she said. “We need to see the hostages released, and we need to see the suffering of the people in Gaza ending, and of course also with regards to the West Bank, we also want to see a stabilization of the situation there.”
She stated that Germany has been steadfast in advocating for a two-state solution in Palestine. “We feel that we need two states living side by side in peace and prosperity ... We need two states, ... and there is no other way for us to guarantee stability in the region.”
Potzel highlighted Germany’s humanitarian efforts in the region, naming Africa and the Middle East as the country’s “second big priority” after Ukraine. She added that they have been one of the biggest supporters of The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for many years. “As the United States has stopped financing UNRWA, we are currently the biggest supporter of UNRWA financially, but of course we are also supporting UNRWA politically in every possible way,” she said, adding that support for the UNRWA has been a “a very strong point” in German deliberations with the Zionist entity.
Kuwait’s humanitarian role
As part of Germany’s humanitarian efforts, Potzel said she flew over Gaza to oversee the distribution of aid but remained unsure of whether the relief supplies got to those who need them the most. “Whether the goods actually ended up in the hands of people who really were the most vulnerable, we of course don’t know, but at that point in time, we knew that people needed everything and anything in Gaza,” she said. Germany acknowledged the role of Kuwait during the crisis. “Kuwait has been a very strong supporter of the humanitarian international system for a long time,” she said.
“Everybody is appreciative of Kuwait’s role, not only in terms of financing, but also in terms of shaping the humanitarian system, of sharing a way forward of how to further develop the humanitarian system,” Potzel said, adding that they had agreed to explore ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in this area, which is currently not highly developed.
A big challenge facing the world is financing humanitarian response. “We see that humanitarian budgets are shrinking worldwide... It’s a challenge of the efficiency of the system as well,” Potzel said, continuing that they would like to see a more accommodating environment for humanitarian response. Another challenge is the protection of aid workers. “We have seen too many aid workers die in these conflicts, being attacked, being targeted and being killed,” she said. “We are not only asking but urging also our (Zionist) counterparts to do more for the protection of civilians in that conflict.”
Netanyahu arrest
Potzel emphasized Germany’s support of the Zionist entity and “their right to self-defense” but within the limits of international law and while safeguarding civilians. When asked about whether Germany would enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, Potzel said that the Zionist prime minister was not scheduled to visit at the moment, but noted that the issue would be addressed if a visit were to be planned in the future.
“Well, Germany has always said that the international law for us is really a driving force, (it’s) one of the pillars of our policies and our state. So, we take this very seriously,” she said. Potzel boasted “very good talks” with the Palestinian Authority, which she said considers Germany and the EU as “a very important partner.” She also touched on current debates about the importance of recognizing Palestine. “We had a debate also in the EU about it of course and also back home. We feel that a recognition of the state of Palestine should be part of a political process ... clearly, we want a Palestinian state according to the resolutions of the United Nations.”
