BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2021) Heiko Maas, the German foreign minister, and Pope Francis called on Wednesday for de-escalating tensions between Israel and Palestinians and expressed hope for the conflict's early settlement.
On Tuesday, Maas started his official two-day visit to Italy and the Vatican, focusing on overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral relations and mediation in international conflicts.
"Of course, we talked about the actual events in Jerusalem. Both of us are shocked by what we see there. We expressed a desire to prevent escalation in the coming days, at the end of Ramadan, and find a way to deescalate the situation and put an end to people's deaths," Maas said in statement posted on the ministry's official account in Instagram.
He added that the situation is very dangerous, mentioning that "the Vatican is also paying close attention to it."
Clashes in East Jerusalem, which have been going on for several days, led to the sharpest escalation between Israel and Palestinians operating in the Gaza Strip in recent years. Palestinian militants launched over 1,000 rockets toward Israel. In response, Israel launched retaliatory strikes against Gaza, killing dozens.
