German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared on Thursday that Iran must be held accountable for enabling Hamas to carry out its large-scale attack on Israel. He also unveiled measures to curb support for Gaza-based organizations.
While acknowledging a lack of concrete evidence of Iran’s direct operational involvement, Scholz emphasized that without Iranian assistance, Hamas could not have executed the attack. He criticized the celebratory statements from Iranian officials, confirming Iran’s role in Gaza.
In response, the German government announced actions, including prohibiting fundraising and activities supporting Hamas, glorifying its actions, or displaying its symbols. Additionally, Scholz announced a ban on Samidoun, an international activist group supporting Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, citing promotion of hate speech and calls for Israel’s destruction.
Germany has expressed support for Israel following the Hamas attack, implementing security measures and freezing Palestinian aid. Scholz stressed Germany’s historical responsibility to Israel and attributed civilian suffering in Gaza to Hamas’s attack. He criticized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s silence and called for de-escalation efforts involving regional leaders, including President Sisi of Egypt, President Erdogan of Turkey, and the Emir of Qatar.
