Germany hopes for a truce between Israel and Hamas as early as next week

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadepful said on Monday that a ceasefire in Gaza and the release by Hamas of all remaining Israeli hostages could be reached within a week, emphasising Europe's role in securing an agreement.

"I hope that within the next week we can reach a preliminary agreement - that is, a cease-fire, the release of hostages and the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza," Wadepful told Paul Ronzheimer of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, of which POLITICO is a part, in an interview in Tel Aviv.

Wadepful, who was in Israel for talks with his counterpart, rejected recent claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Europe has been "absent" in finding a solution to the conflict and that it has "succumbed to Palestinian terror."

"Europe is important - Britain and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council and both matter. The European Union as a whole is also important," Wadeepful said, arguing that Germany had also played an active role.

"Yesterday I spoke with the foreign minister and prime minister of Qatar, the key person in contact with Hamas ... I will fly to Cairo tonight to meet with the Egyptian foreign minister," he said. - I am doing exactly what a foreign minister should do: creating understanding, exchanging positions, helping to mediate, building bridges... Whether this will ultimately succeed, we will see - but it is my duty to keep trying."

Reflecting on the aftermath of the 7 October attacks that killed some 1,200 people two years ago, Wadeepful said he warned colleagues early on that Israel's response would eventually test Western support:

"At some point, people will start saying, 'Now Israel is overreacting.'"

He expressed disappointment at the scale of solidarity demonstrations in Germany he had attended in the wake of the deadly attack, noting that "the sympathy was not as broad or strong as I had hoped," citing "some alienation" related to Israeli settlement policy.

"Yes, many people came - but not enough to fill the entire Straße des 17. Juni up to the Victory Column. That's how it should have been - but it didn't happen," he said. - This deep sympathy, this solidarity was not as broad or as strong as I had hoped."

Speaking about the fight against the growing anti-Semitism that has been reported across Europe over the past two years, Wadeepful said:

"Of course, anti-Semitism still exists. Some people use it for political purposes. And yes - although I'm not saying this to justify anything - at times ill-conceived decisions by Israeli governments have also contributed to this climate."

Clarifying that this is not his personal view, he said:

"That's how some people perceive it. I talk to citizens - I'm a directly elected MP - and I see how criticism of Israel is often conflated with anti-Semitic sentiment. It's wrong, but it happens. And we have to recognise it before we can fight it."

He also condemned Israel's blockade of Gaza earlier this year, while reaffirming Berlin's commitment to Israel's security:

"Israel is our most important security partner in the Middle East - and it will always be so."