German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday demanded a ceasefire in Gaza in a major speech to parliament ahead of his visit to the NATO summit in The Hague.

Merz said Israel has the right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens.

But he said Germany is allowed to question “what aim Israel seeks to achieve in the Gaza Strip.”

“And we call for humane treatment of the people in the Gaza Strip, especially women, children and the elderly,” the chancellor added.

Merz further thanked his Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul for his “intensive diplomatic efforts” to seek peace in the Middle East.

He backed Wadephul’s stance that the EU withdrawing from a trade agreement with Israel over human rights violations in Gaza is “not in question.”

Since the war in Gaza broke out after the October 7, 2023, attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Germany has been one of Israel’s most vocal backers and one of its biggest suppliers of military aid.