Published on
12/02/2026 – 14:02 GMT+1

Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) has become the first top German politician to travel to the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire. This is an unusual highlight of her trip to Israel, as visits of this kind are considered politically and practically sensitive due to the ongoing fragile security situation.


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According to consistent reports, the programme item was on the back burner until the very end – also because the Federal Foreign Office and the German embassy in Tel Aviv are said to have expressed security concerns and the explicit advice not to enter the Gaza Strip.

In a video message on X, Klöckner announced the course even before the trip began: Germany is close to Israel in a special relationship, while at the same time it is also possible to openly address critical points “among friends” – for example with regard to humanitarian aid for the civilian population in Gaza. This line – solidarity with Israel, but combined with the desire not to ignore the humanitarian dimension – characterises the tone set by Klöckner even before the start of the trip.

Trip with a political signal

According to the Bundestag, Julia Klöckner is making her inaugural visit to Israel from 10 to 12 February 2026 at the invitation of the President of the Knesset, Amir Ohana. The CDU politician has already met Knesset President Amir Ohana in Jerusalem; further talks, including with opposition leader Jair Lapid and the German-Israeli friendship group, were planned. In terms of content, the talks will not only focus on bilateral relations, but also on the regional situation, geopolitical developments and the question of how parliaments can be better protected – expressly including in the area of cyber security.

The President of the Bundestag also emphasised that this was an “official visit” that focused on parliamentary dialogue with her counterpart. Israel is “the only democracy in the Middle East”, has “a right to exist” and “also the right of defence”. Klöckner described 7 October as a turning point for Israeli society. She announced that she would visit the site of the Nova music festival, which became the scene of deadly violence during the Hamas attack.

Gaza Strip: Visit subject to conditions

The Bundestag had stated in advance that Klöckner wanted to “inform herself about the current situation in the Gaza Strip”. On the ground, however, access remained strictly limited and took place under the escort of the Israeli army. Klöckner publicly combined her visit with an appeal to continue the “path of openness” and argued that there must also be more access for international, independent observers. At the same time, she made it clear that she does not want to accept the security and control logic on the ground as a permanent state of affairs.

Klöckner combined the visit with a clear message on providing aid to the civilian population. “Humanitarian aid is not a political concession, but a moral duty,” she said according to SPIEGEL, adding: “Naming this humanitarian situation does not mean perpetrator-victim reversal.” In doing so, she is trying to defuse a debate that is polarising in Germany: solidarity with Israel without relativising or excluding the plight of the people in Gaza.

Criticism from the SPD, the Greens and Amnesty International

In Berlin, Klöckner’s approach provoked sharp reactions. SPD foreign affairs politician Adis Ahmetovic called a visit to Gaza accompanied by the Israeli army a “blatant signal” in the F.A.Z. and also criticised the fact that no meetings with official Palestinian representatives were planned during the trip. The criticism is not only that the visit is taking place under military control, but also that the perspective – in the view of the critics – could be too strongly focussed on Israeli perspectives.

The Greens argue similarly: Franziska Brantner told SPIEGEL that it was good that Klöckner was getting a picture of Gaza; however, without listening to Palestinian perspectives, she would have to accept the accusation of one-sided perception.

Prior to the trip, the human rights organisation Amnesty International had also criticised Klöckner and demanded that she address the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, among other things. Klöckner recognisably addressed this point in her public communication by explicitly mentioning humanitarian aid.

How long has the ceasefire been in place?

The current ceasefire dates back to an agreement from mid-January 2025, which came into force on 19 January. Since then, formal ceasefire rules have applied along the so-called yellow line, but the situation remains tense: There are repeated incidents in which, according to Israeli reports, Palestinians are killed because they allegedly crossed the restricted zone or planted explosive devices.

The first Palestinians are returning to Khan Younis via the reopened Rafah border crossing. Rafah partially reopened on Tuesday; around 50 people per day cross the border in each direction, mostly medical cases. Aid organisations are criticising the fact that the contingents are nowhere near enough to meet the needs in the Gaza Strip.