BERLIN, Feb 10, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday labelled as "a scandal" US President Donald Trump's plans for the war-ravaged Palestinian territory of Gaza.

Trump sparked global outrage by suggesting on Tuesday that Washington should take control of the Gaza Strip, clear out its inhabitants and turn it into "the Riviera of the Middle East".

Scholz, speaking in a pre-election TV debate, branded the plan "a scandal" and said "the relocation of a population is unacceptable and against international law".

His conservative election rival Friedrich Merz said "I share this assessment".

But Merz added that Trump's announcement is "part of a whole series of proposals coming from the American government".

"We have to wait and see what is really meant seriously and how it will be implemented. There is probably a lot of rhetoric involved."

Israel launched a devastating military offensive against Hamas in Gaza in response to the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack which began the war.

That conflict has devastated much of the Gaza Strip -- a narrow coastal territory on the eastern Mediterranean -- but a ceasefire since last month has brought a halt to the deadly conflict and provides for the release of hostages seized by Hamas.