August 8, 2025 | 07:03 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Until further notice, the German government will not approve the export of any military equipment that could be used by Israel in Gaza. This was announced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday, August 8, 2025, in response to Israel's plan to take over Gaza, 25 percent of the Gaza Strip that has not been seized.
The decision, as reported by The Times of Israel, marks a significant shift for the German government, which has long been one of Israel's staunchest international allies.
Merz said it is "increasingly difficult to understand" how Israel's military plan would help achieve legitimate goals to disarm Hamas and free hostages.
"The German government believes that the even tougher military action in the Gaza Strip decided upon by the Israeli cabinet last night makes it increasingly difficult to see how these goals can be achieved," Merz said in a statement as reported by Al Arabiya.
"Under these circumstances, the German government will not approve any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice."
Freeing hostages and ceasefire negotiations are top priorities for Germany, said Merz. He later expressed deep concern for the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
The Israeli security cabinet approved the plan on Friday morning to take over Gaza, a move that would exacerbate the genocide in Gaza. This was done despite increasing criticism at home and abroad over Israel's nearly two-year-long genocide that devastated Gaza.
Nevertheless, Merz claimed that Israel has the right to disarm Hamas and pursue the release of Israeli hostages.
Extremist right-wing allies in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition have pushed for the total takeover of Gaza as part of their bid to snuff out Palestinian Hamas fighters. However, the Israeli military has warned that this could endanger the remaining hostages' lives.
The German parliament stated in June that export licenses for military equipment to Israel worth 485 million euros, or about Rp9 trillion, had been granted between October 7, 2023, and May 13, 2025, since the start of Israel's genocide in Gaza.
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