German opposition leader urges Merkel to stop Israeli raids
The head of the German opposition Green party Claudia Roth has called on Chancellor Angela Merkel to pressure Israel to stop its raids on the Gaza Strip.
Some 514 Palestinians have been killed and over 2500 wounded since the start of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
"The federal chancellor should not limit herself to merely declaring Israel's action legitimate," Roth was quoted saying in a press statement in Berlin on Monday.
Merkel has strongly defended Israel's onslaught in Gaza, labeling it "legitimate self-defense." Merkel is also facing mounting public criticism for solely blaming Hamas for triggering the Gaza conflict.
Nearly 70 percent of Germans reject Merkel's stance on holding Hamas responsible for sparking the Israeli military onslaught on Gaza, according to a recent opinion poll released by the private sat 1 broadcasting station.
