The Joint Conference Church and Development
German church group calls on government to halt arms exports to 'Israel'
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- German church organization urges stop to arms shipments to 'Israel'.
- Group warns military equipment could be used against civilians in Gaza.
- Calls come after Germany lifted restrictions citing a “stabilized ceasefire.”
A German church organization representing both Catholic and Protestant churches has called on the government to halt arms exports to 'Israel' amid the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
“The Joint Conference Church and Development urged Berlin ‘not to supply Israel with any military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip, even after the very fragile ceasefire (Oct. 10 declaration), until the situation in Gaza has stabilized sufficiently and there is no longer a clear risk that this military equipment could be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law,’” co-chair Karl Juesten said during a press briefing in Berlin.
Juesten criticized Germany’s decision to resume arms deliveries as “premature,” noting that “Israel's conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip is in many respects incompatible with the requirements of international humanitarian law, particularly with regard to the treatment of the civilian population.”
Germany lifted restrictions on arms exports to 'Israel' on November 17, citing a “stabilized ceasefire” and diplomatic progress. Earlier, Chancellor Friedrich Merz had imposed a halt on August 8 following 'Israel’s' ground offensive and the suspension of aid deliveries to Gaza.
The country’s arms exports to 'Israel' have long faced criticism and legal challenges. Rights groups, including the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, argue that authorizing weapons exports violates international agreements, including the Geneva Convention on the prevention and punishment of genocide.
