Overview

• On August 12, Minister-President Olaf Lies asked Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to support evacuations for children from the Gaza Strip and Israel and to arrange secure exit from Gaza with streamlined entry to Germany.
• A week after the letter was sent, no response from the federal government has been reported.
• Hanover has prepared to receive up to 20 severely affected children, coordinating care with the Medical University Hannover and local Jewish and Palestinian community groups.
• Additional cities — including Düsseldorf, Bonn, Leipzig and Kiel — have declared readiness to host small numbers of traumatized children.
• The Foreign Office has voiced reservations, with State Minister Serap Güler arguing it would be more helpful to encourage admissions in the region.