Germany's Easter marchers urged to remain non-partisan over Gaza

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned those participating in the country's traditional Easter peace marches against showing partisanship with regard to the war in Gaza.

"People in Israel must not be pitted against people in Palestine," Baerbock told Germany's Funke media group. "Anything else is extremely dangerous," she added.

"We must not play off our desire for peace [in Gaza] against peace in Ukraine," she added.

The first of Germany's traditional Easter Marches began on Good Friday, with people taking to the streets in the cities of Chemnitz, Gütersloh, Gronau and Biberach.

The marches against nuclear weapons and in favour of peace have been held at this time of year for more than 60 years. The main day of action is Saturday, when around 70 events have been announced in Germany.

This year marchers were calling for the end of fighting and the beginning of peace negotiations in Ukraine as well as in the Gaza Strip, the network coordinating the marches nationwide said in a press release.

Marches are planned on Saturday in Bonn, Bremen, Duisburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich, Stuttgart and other cities.

The Easter Marches emerged from last century's pan-European peace movement calling for nuclear disarmament and protesting the arms race, with the first Easter march held in Britain in 1958.

This year, marchers in Germany are also demanding a more fundamental rejection of the logic of war and militarization.