What's in the German Foreign Minister's fourth trip to the Middle East in three months?

German Foreign Minister Baerbock warned of the risk of escalating conflict in the Middle East, affirming that more efforts are needed to protect civilians in Gaza.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (left) and Deputy Country Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Walid Ibrahim in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), December 2023. (Source: DPA)

At a regular press conference on January 5, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer announced that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to Israel on January 7 on her fourth Middle East trip since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war (October 7, 2023) in the Gaza Strip.

According to the plan, Ms. Baerbock will hold talks with new Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and host country President Isaac Herzog about the regional situation.

Also during the visit, Ms. Baerbock will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his counterpart Riyad al-Maliki.

After Israel, Germany's top diplomat will travel to Egypt to meet his counterpart Sameh Shoukry and also plans to visit Lebanon.

The talks will focus on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the situation in the West Bank and the instability on the Israel-Lebanon border, as well as efforts to secure the release of more hostages, Mr. Fischer said.

There are growing fears that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could spread after one of the militant group's leaders was assassinated on the outskirts of Lebanon's capital Beirut.

According to spokesman Fischer, the risk of escalation is real and earlier, on January 3, Germany called on its citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.

On the same day, speaking to the press with his Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel, Foreign Minister Baerbock warned of the risk of escalating conflict in the region, affirming that more efforts are needed to protect civilians in Gaza and that the occupation of the strip of land cannot happen.

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