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Middle East conflict

German Chancellor Scholz warns against a full-scale ground operation in Rafah

The Chancellor also said that sufficient humanitarian aid should be delivered to Gaza

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz Sergei Guneyev/POOL/TASS

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz

© Sergei Guneyev/POOL/TASS

BERLIN, May 19. /TASS/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against a full-scale ground operation in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah and called for more aid for the Palestinian population.

"We are unanimous in our opinion, we in Germany, in Europe, as well as the American government: it is irresponsible now to think about an attack on Rafah, where many millions of refugees have taken refuge and are unprotected," Scholz said in Karlsruhe. His words are quoted by the DPA agency. "This cannot end well," he said.

The Chancellor also said that sufficient humanitarian aid should be delivered to Gaza. His statement was met with loud chants from dozens of protesters against the war in Gaza.

"500 trucks a day is the minimum. Anyone who wages war is also responsible for humanity and the civilian population who are victims of war," Scholz said.

On May 6, the Israeli army announced that it had begun preparations to evacuate the population of eastern Rafah neighborhoods. On May 7, the Israel Defense Forces announced the start of a military operation in a number of areas in the eastern part of the city and the taking of control of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza border with Egypt. Earlier, the international community called on Israel to abandon a full-scale operation in Rafah. In particular, the US authorities stated that they considered such a decision a mistake that would harm the civilian population there and weaken the security of the Jewish state. The Israeli authorities, in turn, insist that the operation in Rafah is necessary for "complete victory" and the defeat of Hamas armed forces in the Gaza Strip.

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Germany Palestine Israel Gaza Strip Olaf Scholz

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