The German government’s planned airlift to Gaza is unlikely to significantly alleviate the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region, according to the leader of the Left party, Ines Schwerdtner.
Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” Schwerdtner described the initiative as “symbolic politics” rather than a substantial solution to the escalating needs of the civilian population. She drew a comparison to the Berlin Airlift of the late 1940s, where over two million West Berliners were supplied through air transport, utilizing 615 daily flights. Replicating that scale and frequency in Gaza is considered unfeasible.
Schwerdtner emphasized that a meaningful improvement in the humanitarian situation requires “Israel to finally allow unimpeded access for aid supplies”. She stated that only such access can effectively avert the unfolding famine.
Beyond the airlift, Schwerdtner urged the German government to exert pressure for both a ceasefire and the formal recognition of Palestine as a state. She further called for an end to German arms deliveries to Israel, the suspension of the Association Agreement and active support for the convening of an international peace conference.
The announcement of the German-Jordanian airlift initiative followed a deepening humanitarian crisis in the sealed-off Gaza Strip, where access to essential resources remains severely restricted.