Israel has no excuse for hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, a top German diplomat said ahead of a conference in Cairo on the subject next week.

The country must “at last keep its promises to fluidify humanitarian aid into Gaza and to allow sufficient humanitarian access at any moment”, said Tobias Lindner, the deputy foreign affairs minister, in a statement published ahead of his trip to Egypt.

“There is no excuse for that. Israel’s right to legitimate self-defence finds its limits in international humanitarian rights.”

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said something similar in November, accusing Israel of “constantly” reneging on its commitments.