German Foreign Minister Plans Middle East Trip

According to the German Foreign Ministry, Steinmeier will travel to the Middle East in the "near future." A ministry spokeswoman confirmed on Friday, that the Social Democrat would conduct talks in Egypt, Israel and with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas. The spokeswoman refrained from commenting on the role of German intelligence agencies in seeking the release of Israeli hostages.

Several European politicians, including EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, have traveled to the Middle East in an attempt to start diplomatic negotiations.

In the past week, Germany has been frequently called upon as a possible mediator in the conflict. Steinmeier and his predecessor Joschka Fischer were both requested specifically as possible negotiators based on their experience in the region. In 2004, Steinmeier brokered a prisoner swap between Israel and Hizbollah; and Fischer was very active in bringing together Palestinians and Israelis for peace talks during his time in office.

At the moment, however, neither the former nor the current foreign ministers are taking on an individual role in mediating.

No specific German role

Earlier Friday, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said Germany, along with other European and G-8 countries, was doing everything it could to help calm the situation but stopped short of saying Berlin would seek a lone mediating role.

"A special mediating role for Germany beyond the efforts in the context of the G-8 or the European Union is not appropriate," Ulrich Wilhelm said. "But we are making every contribution that is within our possibilities to get the results that the international community urgently wants," he said at a press conference.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and some member states in the European Union have called for Israel and Hizbollah militants to immediately cease all hostilities to avoid an escalation and further civilian casualties in Lebanon.

The G-8 statement released on Monday and endorsed by Berlin takes a different tactic, putting the onus on Hizbollah to create conditions for an end to the fighting by returning Israeli hostages and stopping its shelling of Israeli towns. Once this takes place, Israel would be required to cease all military operations in Lebanon, Merkel's spokesman said summarizing the G-8 declaration.

Too early to discuss German involvement

Regarding the possible participation of German troops in an international peacekeeping mission, Wilhelm said it was still too early to discuss any particular involvement. Before Germany can discuss taking on a specific role, it needs to be clear what stance the UN Security Council will take, he said.

Only after the UN adopts a clear position, will Germany be able to decide what type of contribution it can provide. That is the case with mediation as well as the question of sending troops. It is still too early to debate whether Germany should send peacekeeping troops to the region, he said.