NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has joined calls from some of his partners and the United Nations for a “humanitarian pause” in Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinians. Stoltenberg, who met in Berlin with Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss, among other issues, the supply of weapons to Ukraine, referred to the suffering that we have seen in recent weeks” to emphasize “that we must not give up working for a lasting and peaceful political solution” between Palestinians and Israelis.
But now, “international law must be respected, civilians must be protected,” said the Norwegian diplomat, who warned regional actors against adopting measures that could trigger a broader conflict in the Middle East.
“The Gaza war must not become a major regional conflict; Iran and Hezbollah must stay out of this fight,” he stressed.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground strikes against the Gaza Strip since a Hamas cross-border attack on October 7. Since then, at least 10,569 Palestinians have died, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is almost 1,600, according to official figures. In addition to the high number of casualties, mass displacement and thousands of buildings razed, basic supplies are running out for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to the Israeli siege.
NATO’s first concern, however, continues to be Russia and therefore the war it is waging in Ukraine, a conflict that has lost media steam due to the human tragedy in the Middle East.
Stoltenberg therefore convinced the Alliance partners not to reconsider their military support for kyiv. “We must continue to give Ukrainians the weapons they need to stay strong on the battlefield and come strong to the negotiating table,” because “these contributions help Ukraine defend its freedom and help keep Europe safe,” he argued. .
Stoltenberg also said that Russia had become a threat to Europe’s security, and recalled that it had deviated from arms control agreements, which, he said, “the world has become a more dangerous place.” In this context, Stoltenberg praised the Defense investment offensive undertaken by the German Government and said that it is notable that next year Berlin plans to dedicate 2% of GDP to military spending, meeting a goal set by the member countries of the Alliance.
He also thanked the German contribution to several NATO missions, the brigade deployed to Lithuania and its leadership in cyber defense issues. Stoltenberg will meet this Friday with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and will receive the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize from the American Academy in Berlin for his contribution to transatlantic relations.
