ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq's powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Thursday condemned recent remarks by Germany’s top diplomat defending Israel's actions in Gaza, saying the comments incite the killing of civilians and "contradict all international law.”

“We strongly condemn and denounce the fanatic German position as stated by its foreign minister, which justifies and paves the way for the usurping Zionist entity to bomb civilians under any pretext,” read a statement from Sadr.

In an address to the parliament on Sunday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock claimed that Israel’s right to self-defense means destroying all terrorists, stating that “when Hamas terrorists hide behind people, behind schools… civilian places lose their protected status because terrorists abuse it.”

Sadr said that Baerbock’s comments incite Israel’s “acts of terrorism” and “killing of civilians and genocide,” also labeling it as an attempt to absolve the Germans from the Holocaust.

The Shiite cleric called on the foreign minister to retract her statements and apologize, expressing hope that her comments do not match Germany’s official position.

Baerbock’s comments “contradict all international law and is an unprecedented statement which foretells the intentions of the West against Arab and Islamic countries, contrary to the claims of peace and humanity.”

In October 2023, Sadr called on the Iraqi government and parliament to shut down the American embassy in Baghdad in protest of the US’ “limitless” backing of Israel. The Shiite cleric has also called for boycotting pro-US and Israel business and products and has staged several of his “million-man” protests in support of Palestine.

Over 42,000 people have been killed and nearly 100,000 others wounded in Gaza since Israel launched a full-scale military aggression in October 2023.

An Israeli strike on al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Gaza killed at least four people and injured 40 others on Monday. Videos circulated on social media depicted a large fire igniting due to the strike and footage of a young man burning to death while attached to an IV drip on a hospital bed.