Germany allows more arms exports to Israel, report says

BERLIN

Germany approved further arms exports to Israel worth more than €30 million ($31.2 million) over the past few weeks, German newsweekly Der Spiegel reported Tuesday.

Overall, Germany gave green light to weapon exports to Israel worth more than €160 million over the course of the year, despite growing international criticism of what human rights groups label genocidal actions in the Gaza Strip.

According to Der Spiegel, the latest arms export figures were released by the Ministry of Economics following an inquiry.

While the German government has fulfilled many of Israel's arms requests, it has not delivered any goods classified as weapons of war, such as artillery or tank ammunition.

Based on Der Spiegel's reporting, the government in Tel Aviv made a specific request for such weapons of war shortly after the Hamas attack in October 2023. But so far there has been no green light from Berlin.

The German deliveries include transmissions for the Israeli Merkava tanks are made in Germany after Berlin's approval of the deliveries in the summer.

The delivery of weapons which can be used in Gaza was halted in March after Nicaragua brought a case against Germany before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of aiding “genocide” in Gaza.

Germany has long been a key ally of Israel, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz often emphasizing Germany’s special responsibility for Israel’s security because of the country’s Nazi past.

Critics argue, however, that Germany’s unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is damaging its international credibility and further isolating Berlin on the global stage.

Since Israel began its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza last October, more than 45,300 people, most of them women and children have been killed, and over 105,000 wounded.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the ICJ for its actions in Gaza, where millions of Palestinians remain displaced and face severe shortages of food, medical supplies and other essentials.