The German government on Wednesday said it will not support a proposal from several cities to take in injured and traumatized children from the Gaza Strip, despite growing calls for humanitarian aid amid Israel's genocidal attacks on the blockaded enclave.
"This idea is nice for the election campaign or to score points, but it doesn't help the people themselves. It is much more important and helpful to motivate countries in the region to accept them," said Deputy Foreign Minister Serap Güler, from the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in an interview with the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper.
Germany is already active in this area and is also offering further support. "The quickest and best way to help these people is directly in the region, not by exploiting them for the election campaign and forcing them to endure this long journey," added Güler.
At least five cities, including Hanover, Dusseldorf, Bonn, Leipzig, and Kiel, have announced plans to accept children from the Gaza Strip and Israel who are particularly vulnerable or traumatized. Political support from the government would be required for entry procedures, selection, and medical coordination.
The Chancellery and Interior Ministry expressed reservations on Monday about this move, citing doubts about its feasibility.
The mayors of these five cities asked for assistance in a letter to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
Meanwhile, Derya Türk-Nachbaur, parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, said in an interview with private broadcaster RTL/n-tv that Germany has already accepted Ukrainian children and is well-positioned to assist these patients.
Germany’s refusal to accept injured children from Gaza stands in sharp contrast to its response during the early days of the war in Ukraine, when the government swiftly opened its doors to tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, including children, offering medical care, housing, and psychological support. Critics say the differing treatment exposes a double standard in Germany’s humanitarian policy, raising questions about whose suffering is deemed worthy of compassion and state support.
Israel has heavily restricted aid to Gaza, which is slipping into a catastrophic famine.
It has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and displaced the entire population.
Following mounting international pressure on Israel, in late May, aid has only began trickling into Gaza, which borders Israel and Egypt.
Berlin rejects Israeli settlement plan
Meanwhile, the German government expressed its opposition to Israel's so-called E1 settlement plan, a proposal calling for the confiscation of nearly 3,000 acres of Palestinian land to build over 4,000 settlement units and several hotels, as well as roads connecting Ma'ale Adumim to West Jerusalem.
"I can tell you that we, as the federal government, strongly reject the E1 settlement project,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer told journalists in Berlin.
"What we are concerned about is that a two-state solution is possible in the long term. That’s why we strongly reject the E1 settlement project,” she reiterated.
Palestinians and several countries, including Europe, have warned that the project will make a two-state solution impossible by separating East Jerusalem from Palestinian areas and splitting the West Bank into two.
The plan dates back to 1994 but has been repeatedly delayed due to pressure from the EU and previous U.S. administrations.
Palestinians accuse Israel of accelerating efforts to "Judaize” East Jerusalem, including expanding settlements and displacing Palestinian residents, in violation of international law.
They insist that East Jerusalem remain the capital of their future state, citing U.N. resolutions that do not recognize Israel's 1967 occupation or 1981 annexation.