Germany curbs arms exports to Israel

BERLIN — The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel's plans to expand military control over the enclave have pushed Germany to curb arms exports to Israel, a historically fraught step for Berlin driven by a growing public outcry.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz, hitherto staunchly pro-Israel, made the announcement on Friday arguing Israel's actions would not achieve its goals of eliminating Hamas militants or bringing Israeli hostages home.

It is a bold move for a leader who had said he would invite Benjamin Netanyahu to Germany in defiance of an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister issued by the International Criminal Court.

The shift reflects how Germany's come-what-may support for Israel — rooted in its historical guilt over the Holocaust — is being tested like never before as the high Palestinian death toll in Gaza, massive destruction and images of starving children are chipping away at decades of policy.

"It is remarkable as it is the first concrete measure of this German government," said Muriel Asseburg, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. "But I would not see it as a U-turn, rather a 'warning shot'."

Agencies Via Xinhua