Germany renews call for a longer-lasting Gaza cease-fire

BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday called for a longer-lasting cease-fire in Gaza, saying there is an urgent need to deliver more humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.

"What is now must be achieved as quickly as possible is a somewhat longer cease-fire,” Scholz told lawmakers, adding that this could enable the delivery of humanitarian aid and release of hostages held by Hamas.

The chancellor said he is optimistic about the ongoing cease-fire talks, and noted that Germany is also trying to contribute to a positive outcome here, by its diplomatic engagements.

“I don’t want to give false hope here, but I have the impression that it's more realistic at the moment than it has been for a long time,” he said.

The Social Democrat politician also called on the Israeli government to allow more aid deliveries to Gaza by land.

“For us, It is crucial that everything should be done to ensure that sufficient humanitarian aid reaches Gaza,” Scholz said.

“More border crossings must to be opened so that more trucks can get to Gaza. Our goal is not 200, but more than 500 trucks every day, this is the only way to guarantee security of supply for the people in Gaza,” he added.