Over the last several days, Israel has had to endure barbaric terror. This terror can in no way be justified. Israel has every right to defend itself within the framework of international law. Germany stands firmly and unwaveringly by Israel’s side.

Hamas has committed terrible atrocities, murdering entire families – men, women and small children – in the most appalling ways. These terror attacks mark a brutal turning point. A new era has begun for people in Israel. It is important not to look away and to call terror by its name.

Hamas is trying to set a whole region ablaze. It wants a conflagration where, until recently, cautious steps towards normalisation were also taken. It is of the essence now to prevent other actors in the region from adding fuel to the fire.

Hamas brings nothing but suffering and death to the people – in Israel and in Gaza. It is Hamas’s perfidious strategy to use the civilian population as a human shield. Terrorism’s cynical plan must not be allowed to take hold. Civilians need safe spaces where they can find protection and have their essential needs met.