German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock is travelling to Israel later Tuesday following the major Iranian attack on the country.

She will hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, foreign minister Israel Katz and minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz on Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman for the German Foreign Office.

She will attend the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on the Italian island of Capri from Wednesday evening.

Fears of a conflagration in the Middle East are growing following the major Iranian attack on Saturday, in which hundreds of drones and missiles were fired towards Israel.

The aerial assault was largely repelled.

Iran presented the attack as a retaliatory strike for the killing of high-ranking Iranian officers in Syria.

Israel’s military leadership says it does not intend to leave the Iranian attack unanswered.

Mr Netanyahu has threatened retaliation but said it would be done “wisely” in order to make Iran “nervous.”

Baerbock made it clear on Monday that she is counting on Israel to comply with international law in the event of a response.

“The right to self-defence means defending against an attack. Retaliation is not a category under international law,” the Green politician said when asked whether Israel had the right to retaliate.

This is Ms Baerbock’s seventh trip to Israel since the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas and other groups on October 7.

(dpa/NAN)