German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday described U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and relocate its residents to other countries as a "scandal."  

In a televised debate with his conservative rival Friedrich Merz ahead of Germany’s legislative elections, Scholz stated that "the displacement of populations is unacceptable and violates international law."  

Earlier, Scholz had expressed his strong opposition to Trump's plan to "resettle the people of Gaza."  

Speaking at an election rally in Ludwigsburg, western Germany, he said, "I completely reject what President Trump is proposing. We cannot resettle Gaza’s population in Egypt and Jordan. This is unacceptable," .  

Trump had claimed that he would turn the war-ravaged enclave into an "unbelievably" great place by clearing unexploded bombs and debris and redeveloping it economically, calling it the "Riviera of the Middle East."  

He also stated, "The United States will take control of the Gaza Strip, and we will do work there as well. We will own it."  

Trump’s proposal to remove more than two million Palestinians from Gaza and redevelop the area sparked widespread condemnation from Western and global actors.  

Many Arab and Western countries considered it a catastrophic plan for ethnic cleansing and a blatant violation of international law.