RAMALLAH, April 14, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Presidency welcomed the statements of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in which he expressed his concern regarding the rapidly escalating developments in the Palestinian territories and reiterated unequivocally the need to refrain from any steps that would impose a de facto annexation in the West Bank.

The Presidency expressed President Mahmoud Abbas's gratitude and deep appreciation for the German Chancellor's positions, which are consistent with international law.

It commended the German Chancellor's stance, considering it a reflection of a genuine commitment to international law and UN resolutions, and an affirmation of the importance of preserving the two-state solution as the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region.

The Presidency called on the international community to translate its rejection of annexation, settlement activity, and other crimes into concrete and practical steps that would compel Israel to cease these grave violations of international law.

The Presidency also called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities to end all Israeli crimes and violations against the Palestinian people, their land, and their holy sites, thereby guaranteeing the protection of Palestinian rights and the establishment of their independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The statement concluded by emphasizing the importance of continuing and intensifying international and regional efforts, and taking concrete and serious steps to revive the political process based on international law and the Arab Peace Initiative, ensuring an end to the occupation and the realization of a Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution, in accordance with international law, as the only way to achieve stability, security, and peace in the region.

K.T