Gaza ‘belongs to Palestinians,’ Berlin says after Trump comments

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks in Berlin on January 26, 2025 (Tobias Schwarz / AFP)
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks in Berlin on January 26, 2025 (Tobias Schwarz / AFP)

The Gaza Strip “belongs to the Palestinians,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says after President Donald Trump suggested the United States should take over the war-ravaged territory.

“The civilian population of Gaza must not be expelled, and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or repopulated,” Baerbock says in a statement.

The forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip would be “unacceptable and contrary to international law,” she says.

“It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred,” she adds. “It is clear that Gaza — like the West Bank and East Jerusalem — belongs to the Palestinians.”

“They form the basis for a future Palestinian state” and a two-state solution remains the “only” option for peace, Baerbock states.

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