German conservative leader Merz backs Israel's Rafah offensive

Friedrich Merz, head of the conservative opposition in the German parliament, has backed Israel's military action against the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the southern border town of Rafah during a visit to Israel.

"In my opinion, the Israeli government and the Israeli army are doing everything they can to protect the civilian population there," he said on Monday after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

The civilian population is being used by Hamas as a shield to make the fight against terrorism more difficult, Merz said. "In this respect, it is now also up to Hamas to ensure that there are no more civilian casualties."

More than 28,000 people in Gaza have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion since October 7, according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry. Tens of thousands more have reportedly been injured.

Hamas and other extremist groups killed more than 1,200 people in Israel in a terrorist attack and took around 240 people hostage.

Merz, who leads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentary faction, had initially congratulated Netanyahu on the release of two more hostages last night.

"That is a good sign." However, many hostages were still being held by the terrorists, he added.

"It is important that the Israeli army and the Israeli government are now successful in really destroying Hamas," Merz said. "And they are on this path."

Merz said he also spoke with Netanyahu about the humanitarian situation of the people in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian civilian population is being warned of military operations and urged by telephone and leaflet to leave those areas where military action is taking place, said Merz. "But it is also true that there are civilian casualties. There will also continue to be civilian casualties."

Merz also plans to talk to Foreign Minister Israel Katz, opposition leader Yair Lapid and opposition politician Benny Gantz. Gantz, a former defence minister, is a member of the Israeli war Cabinet. Merz also wants to visit a hospital.

This is Merz's first visit since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent massive Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Merz is being accompanied by the conservative deputy parliamentary group leaders Johann Wadephul and Jens Spahn as well as the deputy chair of the German-Israeli parliamentary group, Gitta Connemann, also a CDU member.

The talks come after Netanyahu announced on Friday an offensive in Rafah, the southern city in Gaza where some 1.3 million Palestinians have sought refugee from other areas of the strip.

US President Joe Biden and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock are among those who have warned against a Rafah offensive due to the potentially massive civilian casualties.

Netanyau said on Sunday on US television that the Israeli army is preparing a "safe corridor" for Rafah civilians to be evacuated.