Germany calls on Israel to let more humanitarian aid into north Gaza, where a lack of supplies has led to a “desperate” and “unbearable” situation, a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said, Reuters reports.

“We call on the Israeli government urgently to meet its responsibilities under international law,” the spokesperson told a regular news conference in Berlin.

“Israel has the right to self defence against Hamas within the framework of humanitarian international law,” he added.

The spokesperson was responding to a question about an ultimatum set by Washington for Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza this month or face potential restrictions on US military aid.