Germany has indicated a significant shift in its staunch support for Israel.
The German chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that the country will halt arms exports to Israel, citing concerns that the equipment could be used in ongoing military operations in Gaza.
Israel’s security cabinet has just approved a plan to take full control of the Gaza Strip, including a major offensive in Gaza City. The move that has drawn criticism from several European and International leaders.
Merz said his administration was “deeply worried about the continued suffering of the civilian population” in Gaza, adding: “With the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even stronger responsibility than to date for their provisions.”
Germany is traditionally one of Israel’s strongest international backers, so the chancellor’s announcement is a significant step.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, criticized the move and claimed Germany was “rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel”.
TGP reports: Israeli officials argue the strategy is vital to eliminating Hamas’s military capabilities, while opponents claim it amounts to ethnic cleansing.
While affirming Germany’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his government would suspend approvals for any military exports until further notice.
Merz added that it was becoming “increasingly difficult to understand” how the current approach could achieve its goals in full compliance with international law.
“Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip.”
Germany has long been one of Israel’s largest arms suppliers, second only to the United States over the past five years, according to global defense monitors.
The decision marks a significant shift in policy from one of the leading European powers, although the White House currently shows no signs of following suit.
“Israel has the right to defend itself against the terror of Hamas,” Merz added, emphasising that freeing hostages, pursuing a ceasefire, and ensuring Hamas’s disarmament should remain the central goals.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel did not want responsibility for Gaza after the war has ended.
“Well, we don’t want to keep it,” he said. “We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.”
“We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life,” he continued. “That’s not possible with Hamas.”