Skip next section Germany not recognizing Palestinian state just yet, says Merz
08/26/2025August 26, 2025Germany not recognizing Palestinian state just yet, says Merz
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Germany will not be among Western allies recognizing a Palestinian state, at least for now.
“We will not be joining this initiative,” Merz said in a joint press conference with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“We do not consider the conditions for state recognition to be fulfilled in any way at present,” Merz said.
Carney announced in July that his country would recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September. French President Emmanuel Macron has said his country plans to do the same.
Germany supports a two-state solution and sees recognizing a Palestinian state as a final step toward peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zWMv
08/26/2025August 26, 2025WATCH — Targeting journalists in Gaza ‘is a war crime’, says journalism rights watchdog
The Committee to Protect Journalists chief executive Jodie Ginsberg tells DW that Israel is trying to control the narrative in Gaza, after journalists were killed in a strike on Nasser Hospital on Monday.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said that 20 people were killed in the strikes, which have been widely condemned.
Targeting journalists in Gaza ‘is a war crime’: CPJ
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4zWO3
Skip next section Jerusalem’s Christian leaders label Gaza City takeover plans a ‘death sentence’
08/26/2025August 26, 2025Jerusalem’s Christian leaders label Gaza City takeover plans a ‘death sentence’
Christian leaders in Jerusalem have expressed serious concern over the Israeli government’s planned takeover of Gaza City.
The Greek Orthodox Church of St Porphyrius and the Catholic Church of the Holy Family — both located in Gaza City — issued a joint message on Tuesday.
“Many of those who have sought refuge within the walls of the compounds are weakened and malnourished by the hardships of recent months,” the statement from the church leaders said. “Leaving the city of Gaza and trying to flee to the south would be nothing less than a death sentence.”
Both the Greek Orthodox and Latin Patriarchates in Jerusalem have been places of refuge for civilians, including children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
The religious leaders said it was “time to end this spiral of violence, put an end to the war and prioritize the common good of the people.”
“It is with great urgency that we appeal to the international community to work towards an end to this senseless and destructive war and the return of the missing and the Israeli hostages,” the statement added.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zW59
Skip next section Protesters in Israel call for hostages to be released and war to end
08/26/2025August 26, 2025Protesters in Israel call for hostages to be released and war to end
A total of 50 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, 20 of whom are believed to be aliveImage: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo/picture alliance
Tuesday morning saw protesters and activists take to the streets in parts of Israel with calls for the immediate release of remaining hostages and end the fighting in Gaza.
A main highway near Tel Aviv was blocked and protesters set fire to tyres on a route north of the city according to news agencies.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has called for a day of action under the slogan “Israel stands together.”
Israeli media also reported rallies near a US embassy branch in the city, as well as outside the houses of various ministers across the country.
“There is an offer on the table. We demand that our leaders sit at the negotiation table and not get up until there is an agreement,” said Hagit Chen, whose son was abducted by militants in October 2023, according to a statement released by a forum representing the families of hostages.
Activists have also called for the Israeli government to reverse its decision to take over Gaza City.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week ordered immediate talks aimed at securing the release of all remaining captives in Gaza, while also doubling down on the plans for a new offensive to seize Gaza’s largest city.
A total of 50 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zVzy
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage08/26/2025August 26, 2025Welcome to our coverage
Tuesday has so far seen protests in parts of Israel with demands for the remaining hostages in Gaza and for an end to the war.
A total of 50 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
This comes amid continued condemnation of Israel’s airstrikes on Nasser Hospital on Monday, which killed at least 20 people, including five journalists.
We’ll be covering reactions to all of this, along with other developments from across the Middle East, right here in this blog.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zVxf