Germany to halt military supplies to Israel for Gaza attacks

Germany said it’s halting deliveries to Israel of military equipment that could be used in operations in the Gaza Strip, drawing a rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The ban on deliveries of spare parts for tanks and other defense-related goods will be in place until further notice, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday in a statement that cited the suffering of civilians.

The decision – prompted by Netanyahu’s move toward an Israeli military takeover of Gaza City – is significant for Germany, traditionally one of Israel’s strongest backers because of its historic responsibility rooted in the Holocaust.

“The German government remains deeply concerned about the ongoing suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip,” Merz said. “With the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even greater responsibility than before for providing for them.”

Netanyahu spoke with the German chancellor later Friday and “expressed his disappointment with Merz’s decision,” saying that “Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

Merz’s decision is largely symbolic as little German military aid has been sent in recent weeks and Israel has been getting spare parts for its tanks from the U.S.

The chancellor has repeatedly called on Israel to alleviate the “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis in Gaza and threatened that his government would consider potential further steps should the situation not improve.

In his statement, Merz reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, but questioned whether further attacks on Gaza can help it achieve its goals of defeating Hamas.

Netanyahu said “Israel’s goal is not to take over Gaza, but to free Gaza from Hamas and enable a peaceful government to be established there,” according to the Israeli statement.

German submarines

Thyssenkrupp AG’s naval division has been a key supplier to the Israeli Navy, providing advanced diesel-electric submarines and support through maintenance and parts supply agreements.

The vessels are a central component of Israel’s military and operate from the Haifa naval base. It’s unclear whether they’d be involved in any further attack on Gaza.

In Germany, all military exports to conflict areas have to be approved by the federal security council, which meets secretly and doesn’t publicize its decisions.

In the case of Israel, military exports have been particularly sensitive. Merz’s predecessor, Olaf Scholz, said that Germany would continue to export military equipment, despite growing domestic criticism.

Merz’s announcement follows a trip by his foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, to Israel and the Palestinian territories last week. Wadephul signaled for the first time that his government could speed up the process of recognizing a Palestinian state should Israel annex the West Bank.

Wadephul later softened his tone and said that he had seen some improvements of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.