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- Author, Writing
- Author's title, BBC News World
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Germany announced this Friday that it will suspend its exports of weapons to Israel that can be used in the Gaza Strip.
The announcement was made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz in response to the plan that Israel wants to take control of the city of Gaza.
Merz said that his government will not approve any export of military equipment to Israel that can be used in the “until new notice” strip.
“It is increasingly difficult to understand how Israel's plan can contribute to achieving legitimate objectives,” said Merz.
He added: “In these circumstances, the German government will not authorize any export of military equipment that can be used in the Gaza Strip until new notice.”
This announcement causes impact because Germany has been, in addition to the historical ally of Israel, one of its main arms suppliers.
According to the International Institute for Peace Research in Stockholm (SIPRI), a research center that studies conflicts and weapons, the United States was the largest provider of military imports in Israel in the period between 2020 and 2024, followed by Germany.
The announcement is part of the global reactions to the approval of the Benjamin Netanyahu government of the plan to take control of the territory of the Gaza Strip.
Image source, Getty Images
This decision of the Israeli security cabinet represents an escalation in the military response of Israel – which has caused more than 60,000 dead in this Palestinian territory – after the Military incursion of Hamas of October 7, 2023 that left 1,200 dead in Israel and hundreds of hostages.
State question
The right to the existence of Israel and its security is a reason of state for Germany, the largest European ally in a country increasingly indicated by its military strategy in Gaza.
Germany supports Israel in international forums, it is its main commercial partner in the region, it maintains important military agreements and its official narrative directly links Israel's existence with the political and moral identity of Berlin.
This alignment does not respond only to strategic interests, but to a singular historical background: unlike other European countries, Germany's relationship with Israel is marked by the tragic memory of the Holocaust during World War II.
It is estimated that by an extermination policy carried out by Nazi Germany, about six million Jews died during the war conflict.
In 2008, the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared before the Israeli Parliament that Israel's security is a matter of state for Germany.
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