Top German, British diplomats travel to Israel in bid to limit crisis

Tel Aviv, April 17 (IANS/DPA) German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron were in Israel on Wednesday for crisis diplomacy talks.

Cameron spoke in favour of a measured response by Israel to Iran's recent attack.

He hopes the country responds "in a way that is smart, as well as tough, but it's also does as little as possible to escalate this conflict".

The British Foreign Secretary said it was more important to concentrate on freeing the Israeli hostages, getting aid supplies into the Gaza Strip and achieving a ceasefire there.

He added that he planned to discuss this with the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.

Baerbock and Cameron met Israeli President Isaac Herzog and planned to hold further talks with top Israeli officials in a separate but coordinated manner, according to the German Foreign Office.

Baerbock also met with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz during the visit, her seventh since the deadly October 7 attacks on Israel led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

She is also set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Opposition leader Benny Gantz, who is a member of the Israeli war Cabinet, before leaving Israel later on Wednesday.

At the centre of the discussions is fears that the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip could erupt into a major regional war.

Iran launched significant air attacks on Israel last Saturday in response to a strike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.

Israeli officials are now vowing a harsh counter-attack against Iran.

Israel's allies worry such a response could fuel a spiral of violence and are urging restraint.

Baerbock is also likely to address the humanitarian situation of the suffering civilian population in Gaza. In recent weeks, she has repeatedly called on Israel to allow more aid deliveries to the Palestinian territory.