Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier met on Friday in Berlin to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

The two men discussed the catastrophic humanitarian situation for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the plight of Israeli hostages being held there by the Palestinian militant group Hamas as well as the risk of further regional escalation, according to Steinmeier’s office.

“We need a political perspective for the end of the war, for the security of Israel and the dignity of the Palestinians,” Steinmeier emphasized, according to a spokesman for the German president. “The longer the war, the lower the chances of this happening.”

Steinmeier also called for the continuation of talks on the release of hostages, including a ceasefire, at least for a limited period of time. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said Israel will not allow itself to be forced into a two-state solution in the wake of the Gaza war.

It was the second meeting between Herzog and Steinmeier since Hamas launched brutal attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,200 people, many of them civilians.

Israel responded with a massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip and military ground offensive into the narrow, densely populated Palestinian territory, both of which continue.

Steinmeier visited Israel in late November.