Overview

• After talks in Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany would not join the recognition initiative announced by allies.
• Merz argued the prerequisites for Palestinian statehood are not fulfilled and described recognition as one of the last steps toward a two-state solution.
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plans recognition at the UN General Assembly in September, citing deteriorating prospects for a two-state outcome.
• France is also planning recognition, according to statements reported from Paris.
• Merz said recent events in Gaza, including the Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital that killed 19 people with five journalists among the dead, do not change Germany’s stance.