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BERLIN — German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck on Saturday accused Israel of breaking international law by continuing its offensive against Rafah, the first senior German politician to take such a strong stance on the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
“It must not do so,” Habeck said at a citizens dialogue in the German capital. “Of course, Israel must abide by international law,” he said.
His remarks represent a shift in rhetoric of senior German government representatives, who previously have warned Israel not to attack Rafah but have been reluctant to make such direct accusations.
“The famine, the suffering of the Palestinian population, the attacks in the Gaza Strip are — as we are now seeing in court — incompatible with international law,” Habeck said.
“In other words, it is indeed the case that Israel has crossed a line there, and it must not do so,” said Habeck , who is also economy minister.
The International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ top court, ruled on Friday that Israel must “immediately halt its military offensive” in Rafah in the Gaza strip. Israel defied the ruling on Saturday by carrying out intensified attacks on Rafah.
