German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Minister David Cameron were in Israel on Wednesday for crisis diplomacy talks.
Cameron spoke in favor of a measured response from Israel to Iran’s recent attack.
He hopes that the country responds in a way that is “both smart and tough”, but that this does not escalate the conflict.
Cameron said it was more important to focus on freeing the Israeli hostages, bringing aid into the Gaza Strip and reaching a ceasefire there. He said he planned to discuss this with the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.
Baerbock and Cameron met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and planned to hold further talks with top Israeli officials in a separate but coordinated manner, the German Foreign Ministry said.
Baerbock also met with the Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz during the visit, her seventh since the deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
She will also meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former opposition leader Benny Gantz, who is a member of Israel’s war cabinet, before leaving later on Wednesday.
At the heart of the discussions are fears that the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip could turn into a major regional war. Iran launched significant airstrikes on Israel on Saturday in response to an attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
Israeli officials are now vowing a tough counterattack against Iran. Israel’s allies are concerned that such a response could fuel a spiral of violence and urge restraint.
Baerbock is also likely to address the humanitarian situation of the suffering civilian population in Gaza. In recent weeks, she has repeatedly called on Israel to allow more aid deliveries to the Palestinian territory.
