Germany's role in a new beginning in the Middle East

2025-10-17 08:37:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Germany will not send troops if an international mission is to ensure peace in the Gaza Strip. But the government intends to get involved in reconstruction and organize a conference with Egypt.

On Monday (13.10.), Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) did not miss the opportunity to travel to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh for a summit with more than 20 heads of state and government. Merz was there for only a few hours, when US President Donald Trump signed an agreement on a possible peace in the Middle East with the heads of state of Egypt, Turkey and Qatar. And for a quick photo with the US President.

The German chancellor also made a brief statement to reporters to clarify Germany's role in shaping the future of the devastated Gaza Strip. A possible role, it must be said, because most of the details of Trump's 20-point peace plan are still unclear. Even before, before the successful release of the last surviving Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, Merz had made it clear that Germany had no plans to deploy German soldiers, for example as part of an international stabilization mission.

The idea that German soldiers could face Israeli soldiers at some point in the future is a terrifying prospect for many German politicians, however theoretical it may be. Instead, Merz said: "Germany will do its part. And above all, we see a humanitarian obligation to do everything in the coming days and weeks to ensure that the people still living there are provided with adequate medical care." People in Gaza now need, above all, shelter, water and medical assistance. Aid for reconstruction has been frozen.

Even before it became clear that US President Donald Trump's plan was taking shape, at least in its initial stages, a heated debate began in Berlin about how much the German government would contribute. Merz had already pledged an additional 29 million euros in immediate humanitarian aid over the weekend. A relatively small amount, considering the needs.

On Sunday evening, Federal Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan (SPD) announced that Germany could definitely offer a three-digit million euro sum for reconstruction in Gaza. The money is available, the SPD politician continued, and many programs have been frozen since the Islamist terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, about two years ago. But a spokesman for the minister was unable to say exactly how much the amount would be on Monday. The government now intends to send 50 temporary shelters for around 350 people to Gaza.

Donors' conference, likely in Cairo

One thing is clear: Germany, together with Egypt, will probably organize a donors' conference for Gaza in Cairo in the coming weeks. This was also agreed upon before the hostages were released, but now, of course, the topic is becoming increasingly important.

The Egyptian government presented a plan weeks ago to rebuild the devastated Mediterranean coastline, citing a sum of about $53 billion. The money will come from many sources: from Arab and European states, but not from the United States. Donald Trump made this clear during his visit to Israel.

Dispute over arms supplies to Israel

There are debates within Germany's ruling coalition of conservatives and social democrats about arms supplies to Israel, although there is still uncertainty and uncertainty about some parts of the peace plan, such as the disarmament of the Islamist terror group Hamas. The CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, the smallest of the three coalition partners, called on Chancellor Merz after the hostages were released to end all sanctions and restrictions against Israel.

"The sanctions must be lifted, the export restrictions must be lifted, the travel warning must be lifted - and all of this immediately," the head of the CSU Bundestag group of members, Alexander Hoffmann, told Germany's largest newspaper, Bild, on Tuesday. CSU party chairman Markus Söder also wants to resume arms supplies to Israel.

On August 8, Merz decided to no longer allow arms shipments to Israel that could be used in Gaza. The reason at the time was the harsh actions of the Israeli army, including against the Palestinian civilian population.

CDU MP Steffen Bilger put it somewhat more mildly, saying that if peaceful development was sustainable, a resumption of arms deliveries could be considered. According to reports in Berlin, Merz is in favor of maintaining the export ban for the time being, as long as the situation remains so unclear. The Social Democrats are also on his side on this issue.

Merz wants to have clear structures in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible

First of all, Chancellor Merz wants to ensure that the positive momentum currently following the release of the hostages and the ceasefire is used. There must be clarity quickly on the remaining issues, such as the precise establishment of international control over the Gaza Strip, Merz said during a visit to the state of Brandenburg on Tuesday in the state capital, Potsdam.

"I don't want to be back in the same group in six months and have to ask ourselves: 'What went wrong?' This shouldn't happen." Perhaps Merz had in mind the main concern of all international observers: the fear that the promised disarmament of Hamas will not succeed./ DW