At the beginning of the closed-door meetings between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, the two heads of state also addressed the conflict with Israel.
“We stand together by the side of Israel,” affirmed Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to DER SPIEGEL. Both he and Macron expressed their solidarity with the country, which was attacked by Hamas a few days ago. However, they both warned against a spiral of violence in the region. Scholz stated that Israel has the right to defend itself against all attacks, but there must be no further escalation. That’s why Berlin and Paris are in intensive contact with many other countries in the region.
Federal Prosecutor Initiates Proceedings
Meanwhile, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office has initiated proceedings against the Hamas attack. Peter Frank, the Attorney General, has launched an investigation in connection with the attacks by the terrorist organization, as reported by DER SPIEGEL. During the attacks, German citizens are also believed to have been abducted or killed; a spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe confirmed the proceedings. The proceedings are currently directed against the still unknown members of a terrorist organization, with investigations including charges of murder and hostage-taking.
Image: Preiss/ MSC, Olaf Scholz MSC 2019, CC-BY-3.0 EN via Wikimedia Commons (image size changed)
