“Annexation is prohibited, just as it is forbidden under humanitarian law to use aid as a weapon of war,” the former German foreign minister told dpa. She said a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict was urgently needed “to free the hostages and allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
Asked whether she expected Netanyahu to announce the annexation of the West Bank, Baerbock said she could not predict his remarks. She added that last year, Netanyahu delivered a speech at the UN that was followed by further attacks on Lebanon.
Baerbock stressed that the UN Charter and the majority of member states’ positions were clear: “Every country in the world has the right to self-determination.” She pointed to early UN resolutions calling for Palestinians to live peacefully in their own state alongside Israel.
With more countries recognizing a Palestinian state, a step Netanyahu has fiercely opposed, Baerbock said she anticipated “a very intense speech.”
Baerbock also welcomed US President Donald Trump’s latest proposal for Middle East peace, saying any initiative toward a settlement was “essential” and one of the UN’s most urgent tasks.
Source: dpa
