Germany's federal government has sharply condemned statements by Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben‑Gvir, who said "targeted killings" should be carried out in the Gaza Strip and described plans to "remove" dozens of Palestinians each night. The remarks, reported this week, prompted a rare and forceful response from senior German politicians across the political spectrum.
Chancellor calls comments unacceptable
A government spokesperson in Berlin, speaking while Chancellor Friedrich Merz is on vacation, said the chancellor "strongly condemns Minister Ben‑Gvir's inhumane statements, which violate international law — they are unacceptable." The spokesperson added that Merz was following the developments "with great concern" and criticised Israel's announced plans to accelerate settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
"As the occupying power, Israel must treat Palestinians with dignity, protect their property and ensure public administration and humanitarian aid," the spokesperson said.
The German response highlighted two distinct strands of concern: the explicit call for killings that Germany says breaches international law, and parallel unease over further settlement activity in the occupied territories. Berlin also warned there must be no additional steps towards annexation.
Coalition unease and talk of consequences
Vice‑Chancellor Lars Klingbeil of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) described the remarks as crossing a line and said the federal government could not accept them. Klingbeil told private broadcaster Sat.1 that sanctions are being discussed at the European level and that the matter must now be taken seriously. He emphasised Germany's long‑standing solidarity with Israel, but said that did not mean Berlin should be silent in the face of statements it regards as unacceptable.
Hildegard Bentele, a German member of the European Parliament from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), supported sanctions against Ben‑Gvir, the reporting said.
- Key actors: Itamar Ben‑Gvir (Israel's national security minister); Friedrich Merz (German chancellor); Lars Klingbeil (vice‑chancellor, SPD); Hildegard Bentele (MEP, CDU).
- Main criticisms: Calls for targeted killings in Gaza; comments seen as violating international law; concern over settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
- Possible repercussions: Discussion of European‑level sanctions, increased diplomatic strain between Germany (and possibly the EU) and elements of the Israeli government.
The sequence of statements demonstrates how a single incendiary remark by a minister in a foreign government can quickly move from national controversy to a subject of international diplomacy. Germany, which keeps a particularly close relationship with Israel based on historical responsibility and shared strategic ties, framed its rebuke in legal and humanitarian terms.
What the comments said — and why they matter
According to the reporting, Ben‑Gvir said: "I think that targeted killings should be carried out in Gaza," and suggested that "every night, 30 or 40 Palestinians should be 'removed'." He qualified his remarks by saying he was not only referring to militants who posed an immediate threat and added that there are people in the Gaza Strip who "do not deserve to live."
Those lines are the focus of Germany's condemnation because they touch on obligations under international humanitarian law that govern the conduct of occupying powers and the protection of civilians in conflict zones. Berlin's spokesperson reiterated that as an occupying power, Israel has duties to protect property, ensure public administration and facilitate humanitarian aid.
In practical terms, the German reaction raises the prospect of political and diplomatic costs for Israel at the European level. Chancellor Merz's office and senior members of his coalition have signalled that measures, including sanctions, are on the table for discussion — an escalation that could complicate Berlin‑Tel Aviv relations and feed broader debates in the European Union about responses to developments in the occupied territories.
The episode also underscores the political tilt of Israel's cabinet: Ben‑Gvir is identified in the reporting as a hard‑line member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The domestic political space that allows such rhetoric, and the international fall‑out it generates, will be watched closely by diplomats and policymakers across Europe and beyond.
For South African readers, the episode is a reminder of how international statements and diplomatic pressure can follow incendiary rhetoric, and how European capitals, particularly Berlin, sometimes frame responses in legal as well as political terms.
