RIYADH: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in the Middle East on Thursday for two days of crisis talks in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel as regional tensions continue to boil due to the war in Gaza.
She began her trip in Saudi Arabia for a meeting in Riyadh with Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. Baerbock's ministry said attacks on international shipping by Ansar Allah in Yemen was high on the discussion agenda.
The top German diplomat is to travel on to Jordan later Thursday and meet with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. The Amman talks will centre on humanitarian efforts in Gaza, as Jordan is a key partner for countries and relief agencies working to get aid into the besieged Palestinian territory.
Baerbock then moves on to Israel for meetings on Friday. This will be her ninth trip there since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas. She has been to the region a total of 11 times since then.
The US, Egypt and Qatar are trying to end a months-long impasse to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
The discovery of six Israeli hostages recently murdered in the Gaza Strip and the threat of retaliation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put additional strain on the mediation efforts.
Earlier, a German government spokesman said "the harrowing discovery of the six dead Israeli hostages last weekend has once again made it clear that a ceasefire that opens the way to the liberation of all Hamas hostages must now have the highest priority."
"All other considerations should take a back seat to this," spokesman Wolfgang Büchner added.
The German government called on "all parties in the negotiations to show the greatest flexibility and willingness to compromise," in order for the hostages to finally be released, for more humanitarian aid to be brought into the Gaza Strip and for the people to be given respite from a war that has now lasted almost 11 months. - dpa
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