German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza represents “the best chance yet“ to end the war between Israel and Hamas, Politico reports, reports News.bg.
“After almost three years of bloodshed, this plan is the best chance, at least the best yet, to end the war“, Merz told reporters in Berlin. He stressed that Israel's support for the proposal was “a significant step forward“ and urged Hamas to agree to pave the way for peace.
The chancellor's comments came after a meeting at the White House between Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the two announced a preliminary agreement on the 20-point plan.
The document stipulates that Hamas will disarm, release all hostages within 72 hours and give up power in the enclave. In return, Israeli forces will withdraw and free about 2,000 Palestinians - hostages and detainees. Hamas has not yet given an official response.
Merz stressed that Germany is ready to support the implementation of the peace plan and the reconstruction of Gaza - “politically, humanitarianly and with a view to the long-term development of the region“. He described this as a step towards lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians within the framework of a two-state solution.
Earlier on Tuesday, the chancellor met with the families of the Israeli hostages in Berlin. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Johan Wadeful announced that he would visit over the weekend Middle East for talks with Israeli officials.
Domestically, however, Merz's coalition government - made up of the conservative alliance and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) - is having difficulty reaching a unified position on the war and sanctions against Israel. While the Social Democrats support the EU's proposals for sanctions, the conservatives oppose them. Germany's expected unified position for the meeting of European leaders in Copenhagen on Wednesday remains unclear, as the coalition has yet to reach an agreement.