On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz flew to the Egyptian resort city of Sharq el-Sheikh to be one of 20 heads of state and government attending the signing of a 20-point plan between Israel and Hamas. After posing for a photo op with US President Donald Trump, Merz gave a brief statement to reporters outlining Germany’s role in the next steps of the peace process.
Or rather – its potential role, since many details of Trump’s plan are still unclear.
What has Germany promised so far?
At first, Merz rejected speculation that Berlin would send troops as part of a possible stabilization mission. He then clarified: “Germany will play its role. And above all, we see it as our humanitarian obligation to do everything we can in the coming days and weeks to ensure that those who are still alive [in Gaza] Adequate medical care is provided.”
Germany has already pledged €29 million ($33.8 million) in immediate humanitarian aid – a small sum, given the massive destruction and famine conditions created in Gaza during the one-month-long blockade. To that end, Federal Development Minister Reem Albay Radovan promised on Sunday that Germany would be able to finance a nine-figure sum for reconstruction, with the majority of it coming from the development fund for the Palestinian territories, which Germany seized after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
The exact amount has not been announced. So far the government has committed to immediately funding only 50 temporary units in Gaza, which can house about 350 people.
Nearly all of the 2.3 million people living in Gaza as of October 2023 have been displaced at various times. At least 68,000 people – most of them civilians – have been killed as of October 15, 2025, according to Gaza health officials, with many experts saying the real death toll may be much higher. UN projections by October 2025 indicate 92% of all residential buildings in Gaza have been severely damaged or completely destroyed.
Germany to co-host donor conference
One thing is clear: together with Egypt, Germany is ready to host a donor conference for Gaza in the coming weeks, probably in Cairo.
A few weeks ago, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi presented a plan to rebuild Gaza’s destroyed coastline at a cost of about $53 billion. While many Arab and European countries have made it clear that they intend to donate, the US has equally made clear that it will not, making the donor conference increasingly important.
Renewed debate on arms delivery
The armistice agreement has reignited debate in Germany over arms shipments to Israel. In August, amid growing pressure to take action amid rising civilian deaths in Gaza, Meraz agreed to stop approving deliveries of some new military equipment. Exports of weapons parts and military material have continued.
Now, many in his own camp are demanding full resumption of arms exports. Stefan Bilger of Merz’s centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) said successful implementation of the armistice agreement meant Germany should resume all deliveries.
The message from the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the CSU, was even clearer. CSU leader Markus Söder called on Merz to approve all exports. CSU parliamentary leader Alexander Hoffmann described the widespread spread Picture The newspaper said that “Restrictions must be lifted, delivery restrictions must be lifted, travel warnings must be lifted – and all this must happen immediately.”
However, the Chancellor has indicated that he wants to ensure that the existing positive momentum continues before making any major decisions. On Tuesday he said more clarity was needed on the proposed international coalition that aims to maintain interim control over Gaza.
“I don’t want to be sitting in the same room six months later and asking myself, ‘What went wrong?’ This shouldn’t happen,” Merz said.
This article was originally written in German.