German President Steinmeier slams Trump’s Gaza takeover proposal as ‘unacceptable’

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sharply condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and permanently resettle its Palestinian population in other countries.

“A solution that disregards or even violates international law is unacceptable,” Steinmeier said Wednesday during his visit to Ankara. He expressed skepticism about the likelihood of successful talks between the Trump administration and Arab states regarding the proposal.

After high-level meetings in Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Steinmeier highlighted significant regional opposition to Trump’s plan. Speaking to German media before meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Steinmeier described widespread disappointment, concerns, and, in some cases, “real outrage” among Arab leaders.

‘Self-determination for Palestinians’

The German president underscored that any viable solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict must ensure both “security for Israel and self-determination for Palestinians.”

“This is a difficult and possibly longer path,” Steinmeier acknowledged. “But I fear arbitrary shortcuts from this path — especially those disregarding international law and its rules — will not lead to the goal.”

His comments follow Trump’s Tuesday declaration that the “U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip” during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump suggested that Palestinians should be relocated to countries like Jordan and Egypt, with the U.S. transforming Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

The proposal has been met with sharp condemnation from Palestine and flatly rejected by numerous countries, including China, Russia, Türkiye, Spain, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.