Germany halts arms export to Israel amid Netanyahu's Gaza takeover plan

In protest against Benjamin Netanyahu's Gaza takeover plan, Germany has announced the suspension of arms exports to Israel. The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the decision on Friday (August 8), marking it the clearest shift yet in response to Israel’s escalating military campaign in the Gaza Strip. “Under these circumstances, the German government will, until further notice, not approve any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip,” Merz said in a government press release. The chancellor added that Netanyahu's plan to intensify the military occupation in Gaza, overnight, has made it “increasingly difficult” to see how stated goals like the release of hostages or the disarmament of Hamas can be achieved.

Germany has long been a supporter of Israel's stance that it has the right to defend itself amid the war with Hamas. However, Merz sharply criticised the humanitarian aid situation in the strip and urged the Israeli government to allow “full access for aid deliveries, including for UN organisations and other non-governmental institutions.” “The Israeli government carries greater responsibility than ever for the civilian population’s supply,” Merz said.

What's inside Netanyahu's 'Gaza takeover' plan?

As per a report by Channel 12, in the first phase of the plan, the Netanyahu government will issue an evacuation notice to 1 million residents of Gaza City - almost 50 per cent of the entire Palestinian population. This will, as per Netanyahu, give some time for his officials to establish civilian infrastructure like hospitals and camps in the Gaza Strip for evacuees. This process is said to last for several weeks.

In the second phase of the plan, the Israeli military will launch an offensive in the region. At that time, US President Donald Trump would give a speech in which he would announce the acceleration of humanitarian aid in coordination with Israel, the Channel 12 report said.

Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Bloomberg News on Wednesday (August 6) that there was an effort to add 12 aid sites to the already existing four, operated by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.