Germany Suspends Arms Exports to “Israel” Amid Escalating Gaza War

By Staff, Agencies

Germany has reaffirmed its decision to halt arms exports to “Israel” as the regime moves to intensify its military campaign in Gaza by occupying Gaza City.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated in an interview with public broadcaster ARD on Sunday that Berlin would not supply weapons to a conflict now being fought solely through military means.

Merz warned that “Israel’s” expanded offensive in Gaza City could result in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and require the evacuation of the entire city, asking, “Where are these people supposed to go?”

He stressed that Germany will instead focus on diplomatic efforts, while noting that the principles of Berlin’s policy toward “Israel” remain unchanged.

The arms suspension, first announced on Friday, halts the supply of weapons directly linked to “Israel’s” war in Gaza but allows for possible continuation of exports unrelated to the conflict, such as anti-air missile systems and naval equipment.

Germany is “Israel’s” second-largest weapons supplier after the United States, providing about one-third of its arms imports between 2020 and 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Spain and Slovenia have also taken similar measures. Meanwhile, anti-“Israeli” sentiment in Germany is growing, with a new Forsa Institute poll showing that 54% of Germans support recognizing a Palestinian state, compared to 31% who oppose it.

Since October 2023, “Israel’s” war on Gaza has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians and injured more than 153,213. On March 2, “Israel” halted all aid deliveries to Gaza, falsely accusing Hamas of diverting supplies — a move that has worsened the starvation crisis. Nearly 217 people, including 100 children, have died of malnutrition in recent months.

While waging its war in Gaza, “Israel” has accelerated annexation in the occupied West Bank, which it has controlled since 1967. Intensified raids and demolitions have displaced at least 40,000 Palestinians, while around 770,000 illegal settlers now occupy 180 settlements and 256 outposts — 138 of which are agricultural or pastoral.