Merkel: Germany ‘making efforts’ to reach calm in Gaza

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday that Germany is “making efforts” to reach a truce between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Merkel made the remarks as she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Haifa during a special ceremony held at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem.

“When [Gilad] Shalit was imprisoned we made many efforts. Now we are making efforts but I would rather not elaborate,” Merkel told students in reference to the Israeli soldier who was captured as a prisoner of war in Gaza in 2006.

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This comes as the Israeli army announced the mobilisation of large troops around the Gaza Strip, spread fear that occupation forces may intensify their assault on the Strip.

Merkel arrived in Israel on Wednesday evening along with members of her cabinet on a two-day official visit, which had been delayed by a year and a half due to disagreements and condemnation of Israel’s policies on settlement and its treatment of Palestinians.