Germany and France have jointly condemned remarks by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, in which he called for Israel’s military to kill 30 to 40 people in Gaza every night, describing the comments as “inhumane” and “intolerable.” On Saturday, Ben Gvir said Israel’s military should carry out targeted assassinations in Gaza, apparently referring to Hamas operatives and other enemies of Israel.
German government spokesman Sebastian Hille said Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly condemned the inhumane appeals made by Ben Gvir, stating that the remarks violate international law. Hille called the comments unacceptable. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot echoed the criticism, describing Ben Gvir’s statements as intolerable and inhumane.
The condemnation extends beyond this single incident. German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil said on Tuesday that sanctions against Israel were being discussed at the European level, signalling that European frustration with recent Israeli government actions and rhetoric may be translating into concrete policy considerations.
Germany also separately condemned Israeli plans to build more than 1,000 housing units in the E-1 area of the West Bank, warning that the move could jeopardise prospects for a two-state solution. Hille stated that Germany’s message is clear: there must be no further steps toward annexation in the West Bank. He added that while there may be no formal annexation measures currently underway, political, structural, or other steps whose cumulative impact is increasingly and obviously leading toward annexation are equally unacceptable, as they run counter to the two-state solution.
The dual condemnations — over both Ben Gvir’s remarks and the West Bank settlement expansion — reflect growing unease among key European allies regarding the trajectory of Israeli government policy, even as Germany and France continue to navigate their broader diplomatic and security relationships with Israel amid the ongoing regional conflict.