Israel latest: Netanyahu appoints general to deal with abducted people

German chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a statement on the situation in Israel on Sunday © HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Olaf Scholz, German chancellor, said he won’t allow pro-Palestinian groups to celebrate Hamas’s attack on Israel, saying the death of so many people “cannot be a cause for joy — for anyone”.

In a statement, Scholz said the priority of western leaders should be to prevent the assault turning into a “conflagration with incalculable consequences for the whole region”. 

Scholz said he had called Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and assured him that Germany would stand “firmly and steadfastly” by Israel’s side.

He said Israel had the right to defend itself, to protect its citizens and to pursue the attackers.

Scholtz said he would phone Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is attempting to mediate in the crisis. He also planned phone calls with US president Joe Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron and British prime minister Rishi Sunak.