Angela Merkel calls coverage of Israel's Gaza war 'disproportionate'

Angela Merkel, the former chancellor of Germany, has spoken out in Israel's defence, saying that while Israel "went too far in Gaza", the way the rest of the world has covered its conduct there has been out of proportion, according to a report by Ynet. She was quoted as saying she had never personally had to resolve a problem as hard as the one facing Israel.

Ynet reported that Merkel offered an explanation for why civilians are killed when Israel bombs Hamas operatives, and that she remarked that very few people in Gaza had been heard criticising Hamas after the attack of October 7. In the same remarks, she said there were many reasons to criticise the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Telegram channel Abu Ali Express also carried her comments, describing her positions as firmly pro-Israel at a moment when such views are not popular in Europe.

A mixed message, not an endorsement

Taken together, the reported remarks combine three distinct strands. The first is criticism of Israel itself: Merkel was quoted as saying Israel had gone too far in its campaign in Gaza. The second is criticism of the international response: in her view, as reported by Ynet, the global coverage of the war has lacked proportion. The third is political: she drew a line between Israel and its current government, saying there was much to criticise in the Netanyahu cabinet.

The headline framing used by both outlets, that Merkel came to Israel's defence, therefore sits alongside clear reservations. Readers should weigh the remarks as a whole rather than as unqualified support.

Fighting among civilians

The central argument attributed to Merkel concerns the difficulty of waging war in densely populated areas. According to Abu Ali Express, she addressed the problems Israel faces in fighting within a civilian environment and invited listeners to imagine themselves in the position of Israel's prime minister. The channel's post was cut off at that point in the version available to us, so the full quotation and the conclusion she drew from it cannot be reported here.

Ynet's account adds that she explained why civilians die in strikes aimed at Hamas members. Neither report, as available, sets out the specific reasoning she gave.

Who Merkel is, and why her words carry weight

Merkel led Germany for 16 years, as Abu Ali Express noted, making her one of the longest-serving leaders in post-war Europe. Germany's relationship with Israel has been shaped by the history of the Holocaust, and German leaders have long described support for Israel's security as a particular national responsibility. A former chancellor speaking in these terms therefore draws attention well beyond Germany.

Her comments also come against a European backdrop that Abu Ali Express characterised as increasingly unfavourable to Israel. Across the continent, governments and public opinion have grown more critical of Israel's conduct of the Gaza war, which makes a prominent European voice pushing back on the tone of that criticism notable.

The sources

Ynet is the website of Yedioth Ahronoth, one of Israel's largest newspapers, and is among the most widely read Hebrew-language news sites. Abu Ali Express is a popular Hebrew-language Telegram channel focused on Middle Eastern and Arab affairs, generally regarded as sympathetic to Israel's security establishment. Both reports were published in Hebrew, and the quotations in this article are our translations of the Hebrew versions they carried, not Merkel's original words.

Hamas and October 7

Hamas is the Islamist militant group that has ruled the Gaza Strip, the coastal Palestinian territory bordering Israel and Egypt. The attack it led on southern Israel on October 7 triggered the war in Gaza. Merkel's reported observation that few voices from Gaza had publicly criticised Hamas since then speaks to a wider debate over how far the group's rule is supported or opposed by Gaza's population.

What the reports do not say

Neither report states where or when Merkel made these remarks, whether in an interview, a speech or a book event, or in what language she spoke, so the original wording and full context are not available. The Abu Ali Express post is truncated, and her complete argument about Israel's prime minister and fighting among civilians is not reported. No response from the Israeli government, the German government or Hamas to her comments has been reported.