The German Chancellor Olaf Solz announced measures today against organizations that supported Hamas and told lawmakers in the Bundestag that Iran bears responsibility for allowing the group to grow to the point where it launched Saturday’s attack on Israel.
“While we do not have conclusive proof that Iran operationally supported this cowardly attack, it is clear to all of us that, without Iranian support, Hamas would never have been able to carry out this unprecedented attack,” Scholtz said.
The chancellor added that on its territory, Germany will ban all fundraising and other activities supporting Hamas and will also ban Samidoun, the international activist organization that supports Palestinians held in Israeli prisonsbut which German authorities say promotes hate speech and calls for the destruction of Israel.
“The federal interior ministry will announce a ban on activities for Hamas in Germany,” Scholz told German lawmakers. “Associations like Samidoun, whose members celebrate in the streets the most brutal acts of terrorism, will be banned in Germany,” he added, according to international agencies and the Athens News Agency.
Germany will also suspend all development aid to the Palestinian Territories until a review of that aid is completed to ensure it serves regional peace and Israel’s security, Scholz also said.
“Our measure will be whether and how these programs serve peace in the region and Israel’s security,” he said. “Until this review is complete, we will not make new development cooperation funds available.”
He added: “Unfortunately, we can predict that the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip is likely to increase further – but this is a mistake of Hamas and its attack on Israel».
Scholz also said it was important to make efforts to prevent further regional escalation of violence and warned Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, which borders Israel, not to risk an attack on the Jewish state.
“I am in close contact with President Sisi of Egypt, who has channels with Gaza. I will speak today with the President of Turkey Erdogan and I will welcome the Emir of Qatar”, he added. “All three of them can play an important role in de-escalating the situation.”
The chancellor also called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to unequivocally condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel and described his silence as “shameful”.
“I wonder, where is the clear condemnation of (Hamas’) terrorist violence by the Palestinian Authority and by its president, Mahmoud Abbas?” Their silence is shameful!” said Soltz.
Source: News Beast
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