German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany will provide 29 million euros in immediate humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, in support of efforts to stabilize the region after the historic peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas, signed yesterday, Reuters reports, quoted by BTA.
“We are providing 29 million euros in humanitarian aid. Together with Egypt, we will organize a conference on the reconstruction of Gaza,“ Merz said on the X platform (formerly Twitter). He added that Germany would take an active role in the peace process proposed by US President Donald Trump, who brokered the agreement.
The ceasefire agreement signed yesterday is intended to end the two-year war, in which more than 67,000 Palestinians and more than 1,200 Israelis have died. The deal, reached after lengthy negotiations brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, provides for the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, as well as a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Humanitarian convoys are expected to enter the territory in the coming days, with dozens of trucks carrying food, water and medicine already waiting at the Rafah border crossing.
Merz stressed that Europe has a moral obligation to participate in the reconstruction of the region:
“We cannot leave peace in the hands of others alone. "Germany will contribute to humanitarian stability and help the people of Gaza rebuild their lives after years of suffering," he said.
The peace deal between Israel and Hamas is seen as a diplomatic breakthrough with global repercussions.
According to international analysts, the agreement could restore trust between Arab and Western countries, reduce tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and restart the Middle East peace process, which has been stalled for more than a decade.
European diplomats welcomed the initiative as a key element for the long-term recovery of the region.