The Middle East is at a crossroads. Following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, there is hope for lasting peace. We must continue working to implement this agreement. It took a great deal of painstaking work to reach diplomatic agreement in Cairo. All efforts must now focus on meeting people’s expectations in an entire region.

For that reason, I am deeply concerned about the latest reports that fighting has broken out again. Hamas is called upon to meet its part of the agreement on phase 1, to lay down its arms and to finally hand over all the remains of the deceased hostages. We urge Israel to show military restraint in order to prevent further suffering.

The 20-point plan lays out the path to finally breaking the cycle of war and destruction. Germany will therefore continue to play an active role in implementing this plan.

To this end, the German Government is supporting, inter alia, the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), including by providing staff from the Federal Foreign Office who will travel to the region this week.

During my visit to the Middle East, I want to speak with our partners about where and how Germany can actively accompany and support the next steps. Jordan plays a very valuable, constructive and mediating role. As a hub for humanitarian assistance, Jordan has made huge efforts in the past years to deliver supplies to the people in Gaza, including at times when the suffering was at its most intense. The German Government supported Jordan in this, and we want to continue our support.

People in Lebanon hope for a more peaceful and more stable future. With the election of a president, the political deadlock in Beirut has been broken, but the Lebanese economy is still waiting for a sign that change is underway. Profound reforms and cooperation on the part of the Lebanese Government with the International Monetary Fund are crucial in order to revive the devastated financial sector.

The ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia has held for over a year now, but in order to achieve lasting peace, Hezbollah must finally lay down its arms. The German Government helps to foster security in the region, particularly through the soldiers whom we have deployed to the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission. The fact that UNIFIL is due to cease operations at the end of 2026 also means that the international community must make use of the remaining time to ensure that the Lebanese army is able to maintain security on its own.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has also served on numerous occasions as a bridge-builder and constructive actor.

The valuable mediation conducted by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other regional partners on the war in Gaza showed that long-term solutions can only be achieved with strategic partners in the region. That is why I will attend the IISS Manama Dialogue once again and make use of this important regional security conference in Bahrain to coordinate our efforts closely with the countries in the region.