BERLIN 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday strongly criticized US President Donald Trump for suggesting that Palestinians be relocated from Gaza, calling it a “scandal” and an “appalling” idea that violates international law.

“It's a scandal and an appalling idea, especially now as we can see the incredible destruction caused there,” Scholz said during the first live television debate with his conservative rival Friedrich Merz ahead of the Feb. 23 parliamentary elections.

On Feb. 4, Trump said Washington would “take over” Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan that he claimed could turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

His proposal was met with wide condemnations from the Palestinians, Arab countries, and many other nations across the world, including Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.

Scholz underlined that countries in the region, including Egypt and Jordan—where Trump proposed relocating Gaza's Palestinians—had rejected the controversial plan. “The resettlement of the (Palestinian) population is not acceptable and violates international law,” he said.

Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) leader and chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz said he shared Scholz's assessment but called for a cautious reaction to US President Trump's proposals.

“I share this assessment, but it is also part of a whole series of proposals coming from the US administration, which are quite irritating. However, we have to wait and see what is meant seriously and how it will be implemented—there is probably also a lot of rhetoric involved,” he said.

The conservative CDU/CSU alliance led by Friedrich Merz holds a commanding lead in polls, with recent surveys showing the Christian Democrats at 29% and Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) at 16%. Though ahead, Merz would still need a coalition partner to form a government. Political analysts expect a coalition between the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats to be the most likely outcome.