"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz flew into Israel Saturday for his first visit since taking office, and reaffirmed Berlin's support after traditionally solid ties between the countries were shaken by the Gaza war. Merz landed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport just before 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) and was met by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who called him "a friend of Israel". Germany, he added, was "an important partner". Merz met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem later Saturday."
""I consider it a great honour and a truly great distinction to be here and to reaffirm that standing by this country is and will remain the unchanging core principle of the Federal Republic of Germany's policy," said Merz. Earlier Saturday, Merz held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II during a brief stopover there. Their discussions focused largely on the fragile peace process in Israel and the Palestinian territories, he told reporters. Merz urged more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and for Hamas fighters to lay down their weapons, adding that both Jordan and Germany remained committed to a negotiated two-state solution."
"Jordan's royal palace said in a statement that Abdullah had stressed "the need to commit to implementing all stages of the agreement to end the war and deliver humanitarian aid to all areas of the Strip". The king warned of "the danger of continued Israeli escalations in the West Bank", which Israel has occupied since 1967. Hamas said Saturday it was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority governing the territory, provided the Israeli army's occupation ended."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Israel, meeting President Isaac Herzog and reaffirming Germany's enduring support despite strains caused by the Gaza war. Merz landed in Tel Aviv and was welcomed by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who called him a friend and described Germany as an important partner. Merz emphasized humanitarian aid to Gaza and urged Hamas fighters to lay down their weapons while reiterating commitment to a negotiated two-state solution. Merz held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II about the fragile peace process. Jordan stressed implementing stages of any agreement, delivering humanitarian aid, and warned against escalations in the West Bank. Hamas said it could hand over weapons if occupation ended.
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