The UN condemns the killing of six journalists: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent and impartial investigation, a spokesperson said. Journalists and media workers must be respected and protected. They must be able to carry out their work freely and without hindrance. According to Reporters Without Borders, six media representatives were killed on Sunday evening in Gaza City in a targeted Israeli airstrike on a tent for journalists—five of them from the Arab TV channel Al Jazeera, and one working as a freelance reporter. Israel’s military confirmed his killing and said he had led a Hamas terror cell. spiegel.de

• The Foreign Press Association in Israel and the Palestinian territories accuses the Israeli army of targeting Palestinian journalists. The killing of Palestinian journalists „who have courageously reported throughout the war despite great personal risk“ must stop.
• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has questioned Israel’s claim that the killed journalist Anas al-Sharif was a Hamas operative. „Israel has a long-standing, documented practice of accusing journalists of being terrorists without providing credible evidence,“ it said in a statement.
• The EU has condemned the killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif and other employees of the broadcaster. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said they took note of Israel’s allegation that the group was Hamas terrorists. „But in such cases, clear evidence must be presented following the rule of law.“ stern.de
• Germany has called on Israel to clarify the recent deaths of journalists in the Gaza Strip. Israel must explain why, in an attack aimed at one person, five journalist colleagues were also killed, the Foreign Office said. In addition, the Israeli side must justify the loss of the journalist’s protected status. zdfheute.de
• The German Journalists’ Association has condemned the Israeli attack. Even if Anas al-Sharif had been a terrorist, that would not justify the airstrike on a journalists’ tent, said DJV head Mika Beuster. Targeting media workers based on unverified accusations is unacceptable.

French President Emmanuel Macron calls for a UN stabilisation mission in the Gaza Strip: it would be the only way out of an unacceptable situation for the hostage families and the residents of the Gaza Strip. The force could combat terrorism, support the population, and contribute to the disarmament of Hamas. Macron reiterated his criticism of the Israeli government’s plans to expand the military operation; this would be a „declared disaster.“ fr.de

• American-Palestinian mediator Bishara Bahbah has called for the immediate resumption of talks to end the Gaza war. Bahbah is considered a confidant of US President Donald Trump. In recent months, he has been involved in contacts between the US and Hamas.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz specifies reasons for the arms decision: in a paper to the CDU’s federal executive board, it states that Israel had already not been receiving any weapons or ammunition that could be used in the Gaza Strip. Merz points out that there are areas of use where the halt does not apply, such as defense equipment for air and sea defense, which are central to Israel’s self-defense. tagesspiegel.de, n-tv.de

• Parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn backs Merz. „The right of Israel to exist and its security is and remains German Staatsräson,“ said Spahn. The relationship between the two countries allows for open discussions and enduring differences of opinion. Israel’s announced expansion of combat operations threatens to worsen the suffering. rnd.de
• Hesse’s CDU leader Boris Rhein calls for further military support for Israel. „The Hamas terror organisation can only be confronted in battle, not at the conference table,“ Rhein said. The protection of civilians and humanitarian aid for the people in the Gaza Strip must be preserved.t-online.de
• „The flag will fly until the last hostage is home“ – Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner reaffirms full solidarity with Israel. . tagesspiegel.de
• „Had to send a political signal from Germany“ – Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul defends restriction of arms exports to Israel. tagesspiegel.de

UKRAINE

Chancellor Friedrich Merz invites to a virtual Ukraine conference with US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky: the meeting on Wednesday will also be attended by European heads of government as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the German government said. The talks will focus, among other things, on further options for action to put pressure on Russia. In addition, preparations for possible peace negotiations and related questions of territorial claims are to be discussed. welt.de, spiegel.de, n-tv.de

• Donald Trump does not aim for an agreement on the Ukraine war at Friday’s meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. He sees the meeting as an exploratory talk. He aims for a meeting between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. „In the end I will put the two in a room,“ Trump said.welt.de, zeit.de
• Volodymyr Zelensky sees the Russian-American summit only as a stalling tactic. In a conversation with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukraine’s assessment of Russia’s true intentions and plans was discussed. „We see it the same way, and it is clear that the Russians simply want to buy time and not end the war.“n-tv.de
• Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has rejected speculation about possible territorial concessions by Ukraine in exchange for peace with Russia after consultations with his EU colleagues. „Force must not change borders,“ Wadephul said. handelsblatt.com
• Ukraine is receiving further financial aid worth billions from Russian state assets frozen in the EU. The funds concern interest income of €1.6 billion, Brussels said; it is the third such payment. nau.ch
• The EU is preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia, said foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after a video conference of EU foreign ministers. She gave no details of the planned sanctions.
• Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a lengthy conversation with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also discussing sanctions on Russian oil. A personal meeting in September was agreed upon.