The German government is warning of a further escalation of the situation in the Middle East following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
“We call on all actors to show maximum restraint. The logic of mutual retaliation is a mistake,” a foreign ministry spokesman told reporters in Berlin.
He called on everyone to keep a cool head and do everything to de-escalate the situation. “The opportunity for a hostage agreement and a ceasefire in Gaza should not be wasted now either,” he said.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is in close contact with EU partners and representatives from the Middle East region, he said. “Diplomacy is running at full speed and our common goal is to help de-escalate the situation.”
The German government did everything it could, together with its partners and all diplomatic channels, to prevent the situation from escalating and a regional conflagration breaking out, said Wolfgang Büchner, deputy government spokesman.
The entire region was in an “extremely dangerous situation” and it was in no one’s interest to escalate the situation further,” he added.
