Shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East: Foreign Minister Wadephul on a mission to end the violence

Straight after his meeting with his European counterparts in Italy, Foreign Minister Wadephul will travel to Egypt, the first stop on his Middle East trip. Egypt is an important partner which not only plays a key role as a neighbouring state of Israel with border crossings to Gaza, but is also mediating in the negotiations on the hostages and ceasefire. During his first official visit, therefore, Foreign Minister Wadephul will explore solutions to the war in the Middle East together with the Foreign Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr Badr Abdelatty.

From Egypt, Foreign Minister Wadephul will travel on to Lebanon. The multi-faith cedar state borders the north of Israel and since 7 October has repeatedly been drawn into the war, with the Islamist Hezbollah, supported by Iran, using it as a base from which to attack Israel. There have been Israeli air attacks in the Israeli-Lebanese border region and reaching as far as the capital, Beirut. While in Beirut, Foreign Minister Wadephul will meet the Prime Minister of the Lebanese Republic, Mr Nawaf Salam, and Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi. Germany is committed to the maintenance of the ceasefire in Lebanon and, among other things, is providing Bundeswehr soldiers to help secure the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon under the UNIFIL mandate. In particular, the German Navy is operating along the maritime border under UNIFIL in order to prevent arms smuggling.

Jordan plays an important role as an anchor of stability in the region. A large proportion of the population of this neighbouring state of Israel have Palestinian roots and so feel great solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza. Foreign Minister Wadephul will talk with his Jordanian colleague, Mr Ayman Safadi, about what needs to be done to end the violence in Gaza, and also in the West Bank. An audience with King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan is also planned.

Following his talks with key actors in the region, Foreign Minister Wadephul will travel to Israel, where he will meet Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Talks here will focus on how to find common ground among the interests of the various stakeholders in order to attain a life in security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians.

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Foreign Minister Wadephul went to Israel during his very first week in office in order to make it clear that Germany stands at Israel’s side, not least as a result of the enduring responsibility deriving from our history. Last week (5 June 2025), Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar paid a return visit to Berlin. At the same time, Germany stands at the side of the civilian population in Gaza, whose human right to humanitarian assistance must be guaranteed by Israel. As remote as it may seem right now, a negotiated two-state solution still offers the best chance of lasting peace and security in the region. Foreign Minister Wadephul will be advocating for this, too, during his trip.