Trump’s peace plan for Gaza ‘best chance’ to end war, says Germany’s Merz

Merz’s comments come after the U.S. president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the White House on Monday that they’ve reached a tentative agreement on the Trump administration’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

The proposal calls for Hamas to disarm, return all the hostages within 72 hours and relinquish power, according to an outline of the plan released by the White House. In return, Israeli forces would withdraw and release around 2,000 Gazans, prisoners and detainees, according to the proposal. Hamas has not yet agreed to the plan.

Germany is prepared to assist with implementing the peace plan and rebuilding Gaza in the event a peace agreement is reached, Merz said.

“Germany is ready to contribute to the implementation of the plan. This applies politically, it applies in a humanitarian sense, and it also applies, of course, to the reconstruction of the region,” the center-right politician said. “We see this as work towards a Middle East in which Israelis and Palestinians can one day live peacefully and securely in two states,” he added.

Earlier Tuesday, Merz met the families of Israeli hostages in the chancellery.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul separately announced he will travel to the Middle East over the weekend, where he is expected to engage in talks with Israeli officials.