Germany Opposes Accepting Sick Palestinians; Stresses Regional Countries To Support Them

As per the latest reports, the German government on Wednesday opposed a proposal by several German cities to accept injured and traumatized children from the Gaza Strip despite the growing calls for humanitarian aid while Israel’s genocidal attacks blocked Gaza.

“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 Guler, from the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in an interview with the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper.

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Guler said that Germany is already actively supporting Palestinians, and the quickest and best way to help these people is to directly aid them in the region instead of exploiting them for the elections and forcing them to endure this long journey.

At least five cities, including Hanover, Düsseldorf, Bonn, Leipzig, and Kiel, have announced plans to accept children from the Gaza Strip and Israel who are particularly traumatized or vulnerable. Notably, the political support from the government would be required for entry procedures, selection, and medical coordination.

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The mayors of these five cities asked for assistance in a letter written to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. Whereas, the Chancellery and Interior Ministry expressed reservations about this move, citing doubts about its feasibility.

However, Germany has already accepted Ukrainian children and is well-positioned to assist these patients, the parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, Derya Turk-Nachbaur, said in an interview. Germany’s refusal is in sharp contrast to accepting injured children from Gaza during the early days of the war in Ukraine.