German chancellor says casualties from Israeli offensive in Rafah could hinder peace deal efforts
An Israeli offensive in Rafah could hinder peace deal negotiations between Israel and Hamas, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday.
There are an estimated 1.4 million people in the southernmost Gaza city, many of whom have already been displaced several times from other parts of the enclave.
Speaking in Aqaba, Jordan, Scholz said "a large number of casualties in such an offensive would make any peaceful development in the region very difficult."
Scholz made the comments while on a whirlwind trip to the region Sunday, first meeting with the King Abdullah II of Jordan in Aqaba, and then meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Speaking alongside Netanyahu, Scholz also questioned whether there are other ways for Israel to achieve its goal of eradicating Hamas.
"No matter how important the goal, can it justify such terribly high costs? Or are there other ways to achieve your goal?" Scholz asked.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, said "we cannot have a future for Gaza, a future for peace" if Hamas "remains intact." Israel has repeatedly said it must launch military operations in Rafah to root out the remaining portion of Hamas' forces.
More background: The German chancellor's comments come just days after Netanyahu said he approved a plan for a mass evacuation and Israel Defense Forces operation in Rafah.
The head of the World Health Organization and other aid agencies have raised alarm about a potential Rafah incursion, saying the Palestinians sheltering there have nowhere safe to move to. CNN has previously reported on Gazans who heeded evacuation warnings being killed by Israeli strikes in areas deemed safe by the IDF.
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