The Foreign Minister of Germany, Johann Wadephul, has traveled to Israel. This is his first visit to the region since the start of the attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Nine people were killed and more than 50 were injured in a residential neighborhood in Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem. Several houses were almost completely destroyed. So far, 13 people have died in Israel as a result of the missile attacks.
Together with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar, Wadephul visited the site near Jerusalem where an Iranian missile struck last week.
Standing among the ruins, Wadephul appeared deeply moved as two women described how their relatives were killed in the attack. In Beit Shemesh, a woman named Smadar described the ballistic missile strike that destroyed her home and directly hit a shelter. She managed to save her children, but her husband was killed in the attack.
She described the moment of the strike:
“Everything collapsed on top of us. It was dark, we couldn’t breathe.”
The attack destroyed not only her home but also all her memories.
“Everything is gone—memories, photos, everything burned.”
So far, 13 people have died in Israel due to the ongoing missile attacks, mostly from Iran. The Israeli Ministry of Health reported that more than 2,300 people have been treated in hospitals. This includes not only those injured in missile strikes but also people hurt while rushing to shelters and others being treated for anxiety caused by the attacks.
Trip under heightened security
Wadephul is the first representative of a Western government to visit the war-affected region since Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran ten days ago.
Because of ongoing missile and drone attacks against Israel, the visit took place under increased security measures.
The German delegation did not travel on a regular government aircraft but instead used an Airbus A400M, the heavy transport aircraft of the Bundeswehr.
Questions about how long the war will last
At the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, the ministers discussed the situation in the region.
One of Wadephul’s objectives is believed to be determining how long Israel and the United States plan to continue their strikes against Iran and how they envision the future after the war ends.
In principle, the German government has justified the strikes against the Iranian regime. However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently stated:
“An endless war is not in our interest.”
