BERLIN 

Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday reaffirmed Germany's support for US President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan, calling it a “historic” achievement that brings hope for lasting peace in the Middle East.

"Since Monday, there's been renewed hope for genuine, lasting peace in the region. We've seen what's possible when the international community works together," Chancellor Merz said in his address to the German parliament.

He expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt for their crucial role in securing the Gaza ceasefire, which facilitated the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners while enabling humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza.

“I would like to extend my thanks to the heads of state and government who were involved in making this possible and implementing it. That includes Egyptian President al-Sisi, Emir of Qatar Al Thani, and Turkish President Erdogan,” Merz told the parliament.

"All of this was possible because states and heads of government worked together with unwavering determination to end this terrible war. We all owe them our thanks," the conservative leader said, receiving applause from the lawmakers.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hosted a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, bringing together world powers and regional leaders to endorse the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement.

In the plan's first phase, Hamas released 20 Israeli captives while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli troops have begun withdrawing from densely populated areas, and humanitarian aid has started arriving in the Gaza Strip. Later phases include demilitarizing Hamas, establishing a temporary technocratic governing mechanism, and deploying an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to ensure border security.

Over the past two years, the Israeli military has waged a brutal war in Gaza, killing nearly 68,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—and wounding nearly 170,000.

Last month, a UN independent international commission of inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The siege and blockade on aid have triggered a famine that has killed hundreds of Palestinians in recent months.