German politician visits Gaza for first time since October 7 attacks

The president of Germany's Bundestag visited Gaza on Thursday, the first German politician to do so since the October 7, 2023, attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.

Julia Klöckner, who leads the lower house of the German parliament, visited a part of Gaza that remains under the control of the Israeli military, months after the ceasefire came into force in October.

Journalists accompanying Klöckner on her three-day trip to Israel were not allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.

Klöckner welcomed Israel's decision to grant her permission to visit the coastal territory and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to "continue the path of opening."

However, she warned that the so-called yellow line behind which Israeli troops have retreated within Gaza under the peace plan cannot become a new border or a "permanent barrier."

Access for international, independent observers and a timetable for further steps to implement the peace plan are all the more important, said Klöckner. "Transparent assessments of the situation strengthen trust." 

Klöckner's visit to the Gaza Strip was preceded by lengthy negotiations. It remained unclear even on the eve of her visit whether Israel would grant permission for it.

The Knesset, the Israeli parliament, is believed to have played a key role after inviting Klöckner to Israel.

The visit was also delicate due to ongoing instability in the territory as incidents continue to occur along the yellow line despite the ceasefire.

The Israeli military said in late January that it killed several Palestinians who crossed the yellow line and planted an explosive device.

In Germany, Klöckner's trip met with criticism from the opposition Greens, who warned that she was only viewing one side of the territory.

Green chairwoman Franziska Brantner said it was "good that Bundestag President Julia Klöckner wants to get an impression of Gaza for herself on the ground."

"But if she does so without even listening to the Palestinian side, she must accept the accusation that she only wants to see one side of the reality in this region," she told Der Spiegel magazine.

Klöckner has also expressed criticism of her Israeli hosts during the visit, advising the government against reintroducing the death penalty on Wednesday following talks with Israeli Speaker Amir Ohana in Jerusalem.

She also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, which commemorates the 6 million Jewish people killed by Nazi Germany.