German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order a cessation of fighting in southern Lebanon and begin direct peace negotiations with the Lebanese government, his spokesman said.
During a phone call with Netanyahu, Merz also expressed his "deep concern" about the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and stressed that "there should be no de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank," according to the German government spokesman.
Friedrich Merz also emphasized to his Israeli counterpart that "Germany is ready to contribute to guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," but only after "the cessation of hostilities" and "provided that the necessary conditions are met," always according to information from the Chancellor's spokesman.
