BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday called U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion to relocate Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza to Jordan and Egypt “unacceptable.”
“Any resettlement plans, the idea that the citizens of Gaza will be expelled from there to Egypt or Jordan, is unacceptable,” Scholz said, referring at a campaign event in Berlin to Trump’s comments.
He reiterated his support for a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians live peacefully side by side, adding that it must be clear that the Palestinian Authority would assume responsibility for Gaza.
“The fragile hope for peace that is now possible must not be squandered,” Scholz said, referring to the recent ceasefire agreement, adding that peace can be achieved only if people in Gaza can hope for a self-governing future.
Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt, and both countries’ governments have rejected Trump’s idea. Gaza is land that Palestinians would want as part of a future Palestinian state.
Germany is among Israel’s main arms suppliers, with its defence exports to the country rising nearly tenfold annually in 2023, the year when the conflict with Hamas militants started.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin, writing by Andrey Sychev; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
