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Germany, France Condemn Far-Right Israeli Minister’s ‘Inhumane’ Gaza Remarks

10 November 2022, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks during a memorial ceremony for late Rabbi Meir Kahane. (dpa)
10 November 2022, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks during a memorial ceremony for late Rabbi Meir Kahane. (dpa)
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Germany, France Condemn Far-Right Israeli Minister’s ‘Inhumane’ Gaza Remarks

10 November 2022, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks during a memorial ceremony for late Rabbi Meir Kahane. (dpa)
10 November 2022, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks during a memorial ceremony for late Rabbi Meir Kahane. (dpa)

Germany and France on Wednesday condemned remarks by Israel's far-right national security minister, who declared that Israel should kill "30 or 40" people every night in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz "strongly condemns the inhumane appeals made by Minister (Itamar) Ben-Gvir, which violate international law," German government spokesman Sebastian Hille said. "They are unacceptable."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also slammed the remarks, calling them "intolerable and inhumane" in an interview with the La Montagne regional newspaper.

Israel launched a military campaign on Hamas-ruled Gaza after the October 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas against Israel.

Ben-Gvir, who is already facing calls from several European countries for bloc-wide sanctions, made the call for mass killings during a podcast with a former Gaza hostage who had been held by Hamas.

"I think targeted eliminations should be carried out in Gaza every night. Take out 30 or 40," he said.

"Not only those who endanger you right now. These are people who shouldn't be alive," Ben-Gvir said. "I'm paying them a compliment by calling them humans."

Lars Klingbeil, German vice chancellor and finance minister, said in a TV interview Tuesday that Ben-Gvir's comments "must have consequences", adding that sanctions were being discussed at the European level.

Several European countries have called for EU-wide sanctions against the far-right minister, but the proposal has failed to win the required unanimity.

Calls to blacklist Ben-Gvir grew after he published a video in May of himself mocking bound activists seized by Israeli soldiers on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

France in response banned Ben-Gvir from entering the country and called for the EU to impose bloc-wide sanctions.

But EU sanctions have to be signed off by all 27 member states and staunch supporters of Israel refused to go along with the push.

- 'No further steps' -

Germany also condemned Israeli plans for settlement expansion in the so-called E1 area of the occupied West Bank, saying it jeopardizes the prospect for a two-state solution.

"Our message is clear: there must be no further steps toward annexation in the West Bank," said Hille.

"No formal ones, but also no political, structural, or other measures whose impact is increasingly and obviously leading toward annexation. They run counter to a two-state solution."

France's Barrot did not rule out further sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, who have increasingly been harassing and assaulting Palestinian residents in recent months, often with the aim to take their property.

"We imposed European sanctions against these settlers for the third time on May 28," he said.

"Further sanctions could be imposed and all options are on the table," Barrot added.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and since then settlement expansion has been a policy under successive Israeli governments.

But it has accelerated significantly under the current coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Excluding east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis now live in the West Bank in settlements that are illegal under international law, among some three million Palestinians.

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Arab World

Strike on Gaza University Kills Three

Mourners grieve during the funeral of three Palestinians at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 25, 2026, after they were killed in an Israeli strike on the Islamic University building. (AFP)
Mourners grieve during the funeral of three Palestinians at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 25, 2026, after they were killed in an Israeli strike on the Islamic University building. (AFP)
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Strike on Gaza University Kills Three

Mourners grieve during the funeral of three Palestinians at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 25, 2026, after they were killed in an Israeli strike on the Islamic University building. (AFP)
Mourners grieve during the funeral of three Palestinians at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 25, 2026, after they were killed in an Israeli strike on the Islamic University building. (AFP)

An Israeli strike on a university in Gaza City killed three people on Sunday, staff and a local hospital said, while the civil defense agency reported five others killed elsewhere in the territory.

Reached for comment on the strike at the Islamic University, the Israeli army said that it was currently under review.

Al Shifa hospital reported receiving three bodies and treating eight people who were wounded in the drone strike, with two sources at the university saying the dead were employees and the injured were students.

The university said the campus and its surroundings had been targeted twice on Sunday, condemning the attacks and mourning those killed in a statement.

Gaza's education ministry likewise condemned the strike, saying: "The global silence regarding attacks on students and universities serves as encouragement for the continuation of these crimes".

"This strike occurs at a time when the higher education sector is facing total annihilation, with 95 percent of the buildings belonging to academic institutions having been damaged as a result of the war," it continued.

"This heinous assault is part of a continuous series of attacks on education; over the past six days, 10 students and educators have been killed by the occupation's fire."

In a statement, the army said it had been "targeting a terrorist from Hamas' military wing".

"Following the identification of uninvolved individuals in the area, the munition was diverted in order to mitigate harm to them. The incident is under review," it said, without specifying whether those killed at the university were hit by accident.

A truce has been in effect in Gaza for over a year, but has failed to completely halt the violence there.

Gaza civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said five other people were killed on Sunday, three in strikes around the southern city of Khan Younis, one in central Deir al-Balah and one northwest of Gaza City.

One more person was wounded by Israeli gunfire in Jabalia refugee camp in the north.

Arab World

Commander of Yemeni Coast Guard: Our Duties Are Continuing Normally and Our Morale Is High

Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli. (Saba)
Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli. (Saba)
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Commander of Yemeni Coast Guard: Our Duties Are Continuing Normally and Our Morale Is High

Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli. (Saba)
Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli. (Saba)

Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli stated that three Houthi missiles targeted coast guard positions in the interim capital of Aden, causing infrastructure damage. He stressed that the attack did not halt operations, which continue normally with high morale.

Al-Qamli told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Three Houthi missiles targeted the Yemeni Coast Guard Authority in Aden, resulting in infrastructure damage.”

The Interior Ministry said two missiles struck on Saturday the coast guard headquarters at the ministry’s offices, while a third hit the coast guard building in the Tawahi district.

It noted that the targeting of security and service facilities is an extension of previous assaults on civilian and vital infrastructure in Aden. This includes Aden International Airport, which has been subjected to ballistic missile and drone attacks on multiple occasions.

It added that the relevant authorities are continuing to gather information and evidence to assess the damage and are taking the necessary measures to boost security and protect both infrastructure and citizens.

The Coast Guard in the Gulf of Aden sector performs critical duties that include securing ports and their facilities, monitoring vessel traffic, maritime lanes, and the coastline, alongside escorting vessels when necessary and executing rescue operations.

These responsibilities carry heightened significance amid Yemen's ongoing efforts to bolster port security and streamline coordination among maritime security entities.

To that end, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) convened a workshop in Aden last August, drawing representatives from the Coast Guard, government bodies, and port authorities to address maritime security governance, information sharing, and the protection of port infrastructure.

In Shabwah, Governor Awadh Mohammed bin Al-Wazir praised a "qualitative security achievement" by the Rapid Intervention Forces, which dismantled a 13-member Houthi cell and seized a truck laden with weapons, ammunition, highly explosive improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and various projectiles.

The seized items included sniper rifles, ammunition, IEDs, and various projectiles. Preliminary investigations revealed the shipment was smuggled through a boat and received by members of the cell on the coast of the Radum district ahead of sending it to the Houthis.

Arab World

Large Public and Official Turnout at Funerals of Jordan Church Attack Victims

Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
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Large Public and Official Turnout at Funerals of Jordan Church Attack Victims

Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

Thousands of Jordanians on Sunday laid to rest eight of the nine victims killed on Friday in a terrorist attack that targeted the Hamoud Church in the southern governorate of Karak, amid a large public and official turnout that underscored the principles of coexistence.

On Friday, gunmen suspected of being "takfiris" opened fire on churchgoers, killing nine and wounding about 25 others. The ninth victim will be buried Monday in the Sahab cemetery south of Amman, AFP reported, citing the victim's family.

The funerals extended far beyond the immediate tragedy at the church, as the village of Hamoud witnessed a national consensus that underscored Christian-Muslim fraternity and cast the terrorist crime as a catalyst for solidarity rather than strife.

An official presence dominated the funeral, with the heads of the constitutional authorities leading the ranks of mourners. Most of the governorate’s prominent figures, both Muslim and Christian, stood alongside the families of the church victims to receive condolences.

Jordanian honor guards carry the flag-draped coffins of victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

By order of Jordanian King Abdullah II, the Royal Hashemite Court undertook the arrangements and protocols for the massive funeral service, which drew thousands of people from across the kingdom.

In a reflection of the area's deep-rooted coexistence, the Christian victims killed at the church included Dr. Mohammad Al-Qassous. A member of the Al-Halsa clan, his parents chose his Muslim name out of a profound conviction that no distinction exists between the residents of a shared village. Widely recognized in the community, Al-Qassous was known as the "doctor of the poor."

Among the wounded in the terrorist attack were four Muslims, two of whom had arrived to help upon hearing the sound of gunfire.

Informed sources stated that "the past hours witnessed a continuation of search operations on a broader scale" for the attackers, noting that investigators are close to mapping and tracking the communication networks of the terrorist cell behind the church massacre.

According to the sources, the delay in announcing preliminary investigation results stems from search and tracking operations navigating the mountainous terrain east of the Karak governorate. They noted that the challenging topography of the search sites demands caution, particularly amid concerns that the militants may have cached weapons for use in further operations. Authorities are continuing to raid locations where suspects are believed to be hiding.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan stated Sunday, during a cabinet meeting that opened with a recitation of Al-Fatiha for the victims, that "all state agencies are working to apprehend the terrorists behind the Karak crime so they face the punishment they deserve."

A woman reacts during the funeral of victims of a church shooting in Karak, Jordan, October 25, 2026. (Reuters)

"This is not merely a security battle; this is a battle of awareness and ideology. Nations and homelands collapse when strife, bigotry, racism, and extremism spread within their societies,” he added.

During the funeral ceremonies, Asharq Al-Awsat observed striking scenes that encapsulated feelings of grief, anger, and a commitment to national unity.

As Muslim clerics stood alongside Christian clergy around the church, the victims' coffins were placed at the beginning of the farewell ceremony on a white cloth bearing a message of peace and adorned with flowers, before being carried in a solemn military funeral on the shoulders of general security personnel, draped in Jordanian flags.

Another scene encapsulated the depths of anger, as young Jordanian men wore the Shemagh (a red Jordanian headdress) upside down - a tribal custom that symbolizes a demand for revenge - expressing their outrage over the crime.

Following the burials, the ululations of the victims' mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters filled the air, blending with the tears of farewell in a scene that united the pain of loss with immense pride in the departed.