BERLIN

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a detailed phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expressing strong support for the US-led peace initiative for Gaza, the German government said Saturday.

In a written statement, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said Merz “underlined his support for US President Donald Trump’s peace plan” during the conversation and welcomed the Palestinian Authority’s cooperative stance toward the proposal.

The chancellor stressed that the Palestinian Authority must now urgently implement long-needed reforms, the statement said, adding: “If this is achieved, it can play a constructive role in the post-war order.”

Merz reiterated that a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict must remain the ultimate objective, emphasizing that such a framework could open a path to “lasting peace and security” for both Israelis and Palestinians.

The call came ahead of Merz’s regional tour, which will take him to Jordan and Israel on Saturday and Sunday.