Germany has defended Israel’s recent attack on a school in Gaza, which left at least 100 Palestinians dead, despite widespread international condemnation, including from the European Union.
On Monday, Wolfgang Buechner, the deputy spokesperson for the German government, stated that Israel has the “right to defend itself.” He echoed Israel’s claims that Hamas uses schools, hospitals, and kindergartens as command centers, alleging that civilians in Gaza are being used as human shields against their will.
Buechner, however, did not provide any evidence to support these allegations against Hamas, which align with the narrative often used by Israel to justify its attacks on civilians in Gaza. He warned against accepting reports from Hamas without scrutiny, suggesting that they might be one-sided.
These remarks from Germany contrast sharply with statements made by EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell, who condemned the attack on Saturday. The Israeli strike targeted Palestinians performing pre-dawn prayers at the Al-Taba’een School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, killing at least 100 people.
Borrell expressed his horror at the images from the scene, emphasizing that there is no justification for such massacres, particularly those targeting educational institutions that serve as shelters for civilians.
