Germany suspends arms exports to Israel for use in Gaza

UN asks Israel to immediately halt plan to control Gaza

SYDNEY/GENEVA: UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday said that “the Israeli Government’s plan for a complete military takeover of the occupied Gaza Strip must be immediately halted.”
“It runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible, to the realization of the agreed two-State solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination,” he said in a statement.
Jordan on Friday also condemned, “in the strongest terms”, Israel’s plans “to entrench its occupation of the Gaza Strip and expand full military control over.”
Ambassador Sufian Al-Qudah, in a statement “affirmed the Kingdom’s rejection and strong condemnation of this plan, which represents an extension of the extremist Israeli government’s policy that uses starvation and siege as weapons against the Palestinian people.”
“Full military control over the Gaza Strip undermines international efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement and ending the humanitarian suffering in the sector, stressing the necessity for Israel … to immediately halt its aggression on Gaza” a portion of the statement said.
King Abdullah II has assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Jordan’s continued support and solidarity, and as he reiterated Amman’s rejection and condemnation of Israel’s plan to consolidate the occupation of Gaza and expand military control over it.
The King also affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting them in obtaining their just and legitimate rights and establishing their independent state, on the basis of the two-state solution, state news agency Petra reported, during a call between the two leaders.
The Turkish foreign ministry also strongly condemned Israel’s decision to take control of Gaza City, saying every step taken by the “fundamentalist Netanyahu government” to continue its genocide and expand its occupation dealt a heavy blow to global peace and security.

Germany suspends arms exports to Israel for use in Gaza

Germany will halt the export of military equipment to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, sparking an angry response from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Berlin’s move, in response reaction to an Israeli plan to take control of Gaza City, marks a drastic change of course for Germany, long one of Israel’s staunchest international allies. Merz expressed “deep concern” at the suffering of Gaza’s civilians.
It was “increasingly unclear”, he said, how the latest Israeli military plan would help achieve the aims of disarming Hamas and freeing the remaining Israeli hostages.

“Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice,” he said in a statement.

Netanyahu spoke to Merz later Friday to express his “disappointment”, said a statement from the prime minister’s office.

“Instead of supporting Israel’s just war against Hamas, which carried out the most horrific attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel,” it said.
Germany’s Central Council of Jews also called Merz’s decision “disappointing”, saying the government should “correct course” and increase pressure on Hamas instead.

Israel has until recently enjoyed broad support across the political spectrum in Germany, a country still seeking to atone for the World War II murder of more than six million Jews.

Between the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 that started the Gaza war and May this year, Germany approved defence exports worth 485 million euros ($565 million) to Israel.

The deliveries included firearms, ammunition, weapons parts, electronic equipment and armoured vehicles, the government said in June.

Merz reiterated that “Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas’ terror” and that “the release of the hostages and negotiations on a ceasefire are our top priorities”.

“The disarmament of Hamas is imperative. Hamas must not play a role in Gaza in future,” he said.

But “the new military push agreed by the Israeli security cabinet makes it increasingly unclear how these goals are to be achieved”, he added.

Merz’s decision is a dramatic step for Germany, where the chancellor’s tone towards Israel had been sharpening in recent months as the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorated.

Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil of the Social Democrats welcomed the “just decision”, saying “the humanitarian suffering in Gaza is unbearable”.

A poll published this week by public broadcaster ARD found that 66 percent of Germans expected the government to exert greater influence over Israel to change its actions in Gaza.

However, while often voicing concern, Germany had so far avoided major concrete steps.

It refrained from following France, Britain and Canada, which have announced plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September, arguing recognition must come at the end of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Berlin has also opposed the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which had been under review by the bloc.

Global alarm has been growing over the suffering in Gaza, where a UN-backed assessment has warned that famine is unfolding.

German air force planes have joined others with humanitarian aid airdrops over the war-battered coastal territory.

Merz said that “with the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even greater responsibility” for providing aid to Gaza and again urged “comprehensive access” for UN agencies and aid groups. —Agencies