Introduction
In the aftermath of the military developments that unfolded on October 7, 2023—marked by the widespread bombing of Gaza, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the complete blockade of the territory by the Israeli army—the German government swiftly declared its full support for Tel Aviv. Generally speaking, Berlin’s officials, drawing on historical reasoning and post–World War II moral obligations, have considered themselves committed to supporting Israel. However, the continued transfer of German weapons to Israel amidst mounting evidence of civilian massacres, the destruction of hospitals and schools, and accusations of genocide has provoked serious human rights concerns.
International human rights organizations have consistently warned that countries supplying weapons to parties involved in armed conflict may be considered complicit in war crimes and other possible international offenses. Simultaneously, within Germany itself, media outlets, political parties, civil society groups, and public opinion have increasingly called for a reassessment of Berlin’s arms policy toward Israel. Surveys indicate that over 70% of the German public supports either restricting or halting arms exports to Israel altogether.
Against this backdrop, the present report seeks to examine the human rights violations committed in the Middle East since October 7, 2023, their intensification following Germany’s military support to Israel, and the associated responses and challenges.
Incidents
Following the events of October 7, 2023, the German government promptly declared its support for Israel. Then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated just days after the outbreak of war: “At this moment, Germany stands only with Israel,” describing Israel’s security as part of Germany’s Staatsräson—a fundamental raison d’être of the German state[1].
In the initial weeks of the conflict, the issuance of arms export licenses to Israel surged dramatically. According to an official government report to the Bundestag, export licenses worth approximately €203 million in military equipment were issued to Israel in October 2023 alone, with the bulk approved shortly after October 7[2]. This suggests that Berlin, in a state of emergency, expedited many previously pending arms requests. As a result, from October 7 through the end of that year, Germany’s arms exports to Israel reached unprecedented levels. By the end of 2023, total German arms exports to Israel—including radar equipment and ship propulsion systems—had reached €327 million[3].
The types of arms and equipment exported were diverse. According to the German government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry, between October 7, 2023, and May 13, 2025, Germany authorized approximately €485.1 million worth of military exports to Israel. These included light and medium-caliber firearms, various types of ammunition, weapons components, specialized equipment for land and naval forces, electronic systems, and armored vehicles. For example, in 2023 alone, Germany approved the export of 3,000 anti-tank weapons and reviewed Israel’s request to receive 10,000 units of precision 120mm tank ammunition. In addition, a large quantity of components—such as engines and gearboxes for Merkava tanks—was delivered, making Germany Israel’s second-largest arms supplier after the United States[4].
However, as the war continued and civilian casualties in Gaza mounted, certain arms exports were temporarily suspended or reassessed. Reports indicate that between March and late August 2024, Germany effectively issued no new export licenses for weaponry destined for Israel. According to government sources, the pause lasted until Israel provided written guarantees that German-supplied weapons would be used in compliance with international humanitarian law[5]. Specifically, only €14.5 million worth of military exports were approved between January and mid-August 2024[6].
Eventually, Israel did issue the required assurances, and by late August 2024, a new round of export licenses was abruptly granted. Nevertheless, domestic critics attributed the temporary decline in exports to internal political tensions within the German government. In the fall of 2024, Friedrich Merz, then-opposition leader from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), accused the Scholz-led coalition of having “for weeks and months refrained from exporting even ammunition and spare parts for tanks that Israel urgently needed,” placing further pressure on the government. In response, Chancellor Scholz stated before parliament in October 2024: “We have not decided to stop supplying weapons. We have supplied them—and we will continue to do so[7].”
Despite this, overall exports in 2024 dropped by nearly half, totaling approximately €161 million, due to growing political and legal pressures[8].
In early 2025, although the intensity of the Gaza conflict had somewhat declined, Germany continued to deliver military equipment to Israel. Reports indicate that in the first quarter of 2025 alone, approximately €28 million worth of German military hardware was exported. Even after a change in Germany’s ruling coalition in mid-2025—when Friedrich Merz’s government adopted a more critical tone toward Israel’s actions in Gaza—the country did not cease arms exports[9]. According to official declarations, between October 2023 and May 2025, Germany issued arms export licenses to Israel totaling €485.1 million[10].
Although Berlin’s officials have emphasized that military support should not exempt Israel from compliance with human rights and humanitarian law[11], Germany has effectively turned a blind eye to the situation in Gaza and continued its comprehensive military backing of Israel.
Challenges and Responses
- Legal Responsibilities
Continuing or participating in arms transfers to a belligerent state while credible evidence exists of war crimes or even genocide committed by that state poses serious legal challenges for Germany. The first relevant legal framework is international humanitarian law, especially the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Under Common Article 1 of the four Geneva Conventions, all States Parties are obligated not only to respect international humanitarian law themselves but also to ensure its respect by others. Accordingly, Germany is required to refrain from providing any form of support that it knows—or reasonably suspects—could contribute to serious violations of humanitarian law.
UN experts have explicitly stated that the transfer of any weapons or ammunition to Israel, where there is a risk of their use in Gaza in violation of international law, would constitute a breach of Germany’s obligations under international humanitarian law and must be immediately halted. Importantly, this prohibition applies even if the exporting state is not certain about the illicit use of its weapons; the mere clear risk of such misuse is sufficient to render the transfer illegal.
Beyond humanitarian law, the 2014 Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)—to which Germany is a party—imposes additional obligations. Article 6 of the ATT prohibits the export of arms if the exporting state knows that the weapons would be used to commit genocide, crimes against humanity, or grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. Furthermore, Article 7 mandates that if there is an overriding risk that exported weapons will be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law, the export must not proceed[12].
One of the most pressing legal debates concerns Germany’s responsibility to prevent and not be complicit in genocide. In late 2023 and early 2024, as civilian deaths in Gaza reached catastrophic levels, some legal experts and human rights bodies declared that the situation in Gaza met the legal threshold of genocide. For instance, Amnesty International concluded in a detailed report that there was sufficient evidence to assert that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, with patterns of conduct including mass killings and conditions of life intended to destroy part of the Palestinian people[13].
Amnesty International Germany also emphasized that the Israeli military had committed documented war crimes in Gaza and that Israel’s conduct against civilians was described by some experts as genocidal[14]. Consequently, continuing arms exports to Israel constitutes a violation of Germany’s obligation to prevent genocide.
- The Dilemma of Historical and Moral Obligations
Germany’s policy toward Israel has long been shaped by the shadow of the Holocaust. Since the days of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, German leaders have viewed Israel’s security as part of their historic responsibility to atone for Nazi atrocities against the Jewish people. This stance, enshrined in the concept of Staatsräson, has traditionally served as a key justification for Germany’s political and military support of Israel.
However, during the 2023 Gaza War, this historical doctrine encountered a profound moral test. On the one hand stood the memory of the Holocaust and Germany’s binding obligation to “never again” allow such atrocities to occur. On the other hand, widespread images of Palestinian suffering—particularly the mass killing of children and civilians—deeply shocked the German conscience and raised the critical question: Should “never again” not also apply to the prevention of genocide against other peoples?
Germany thus found itself torn between loyalty to Israel and fidelity to universal human rights principles. Even at the official level, signs of division began to emerge. Germany’s Commissioner for Combatting Antisemitism reiterated that Israel’s security remains one of the founding principles of the German state and therefore “we must continue to export arms to Israel[15].”
- Domestic Reactions
Public opinion surveys revealed a growing wave of criticism as the war prolonged and civilian casualties mounted. According to a June 2025 survey by ARD, approximately 73% of Germans favored imposing stricter limits on arms exports to Israel, and nearly 30% supported a full suspension of such exports. Only 13% believed that Germany should support Israel unconditionally, while 74% rejected such a “blank check.” Furthermore, 63% said Israel’s military response in Gaza was excessive, and roughly three-quarters considered its actions unjustified[16].
Another poll conducted by INSA in spring 2025 showed that 58% of Germans supported a temporary halt to arms deliveries to Israel, while only 22% opposed such a measure[17]. These dramatic shifts in public opinion in a country traditionally supportive of Israel reflect the deep emotional impact of images and reports of mass civilian deaths in Gaza.
On the political front, the Social Democratic–Green coalition government led by Olaf Scholz initially expressed firm solidarity with Israel and rejected all public criticism. However, over time, cracks in this unified stance emerged. The Left Party (Die Linke) and some members of the Green Party voiced concerns from the outset of the war. Members of Die Linke in the European Parliament declared that “it has long been clear that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza” and must be explicitly condemned. Özlem Demirel, a Left Party MEP, stated that while Israel’s right to self-defense is recognized, what it is doing in Gaza “has nothing to do with legitimate defense” and called for the cessation of arms exports.
Even within the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), internal dissent began to surface. In spring 2025, Ralf Mützenich, SPD parliamentary leader, stated that while Israel had a right to self-defense following October 7, that justification had now expired, and continued attacks were no longer defensible in terms of existential security.
Meanwhile, the streets of Germany witnessed large-scale protests and counter-demonstrations. On one side, the Jewish community and pro-Israel groups rallied against antisemitism and in support of Israel’s right to self-defense. On the other, thousands of human rights activists, Muslim residents, and ordinary citizens demonstrated in cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, and Frankfurt, protesting the slaughter in Gaza and Germany’s role in the conflict. These protests—some involving tens of thousands of participants—called for an immediate ceasefire, an end to military assistance, and an arms embargo on Israel. For instance, over 10,000 people marched in Berlin in October 2023 in solidarity with Gaza[18].
Moreover, prominent artists, academics, and writers published open letters urging the German Parliament to adopt a firmer stance against the killing of civilians.
- International Reactions
At the international level, the Republic of Nicaragua filed a lawsuit against Germany before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January 2024, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention and failing to uphold its obligations to respect human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In its defense before the Court, the German government claimed it had significantly reduced arms exports to Israel and that the publicly reported figures referred only to non-lethal weapons.
Meanwhile, prominent international figures openly criticized the role of Germany and Europe in the Gaza crisis. Josep Borrell, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, pointedly remarked that “we supply half the bombs that are falling on Gaza.” He argued that if Western governments genuinely wished to reduce civilian casualties, they should curb arms exports to Israel and, instead of issuing condolences, should demand strict compliance with international humanitarian law through binding international instruments[19].
In June 2024, a group of United Nations Special Rapporteurs declared that continued arms exports to Israel place exporting countries at risk of complicity in serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law[20]. In response to mounting pressure, Johann Wadephul, Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister at the time, announced in May 2025 that Berlin was reviewing its arms export policy to Israel in light of its international obligations and humanitarian concerns. He further stated that any future deliveries would be contingent upon the results of this review[21].
Finally, from an institutional standpoint, over 250 humanitarian and human rights organizations, alongside several UN experts, issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire and urging all countries to halt the transfer of any weapons that could be used to commit violations of the laws of war or human rights[22].
Conclusion
An examination of the events and responses reveals that Germany’s arms exports to Israel during the Gaza war have become a historic test of Berlin’s commitment to human rights values. As Israel’s second-largest arms supplier—providing nearly 30% of Israel’s total arms imports in 2023—Germany plays a critical role in sustaining Israel’s military capabilities.
Berlin’s military support for Tel Aviv at the outset of the war continued a longstanding tradition in which Israel’s security was regarded as a special moral responsibility of post-Holocaust Germany. However, the unprecedented and one-sided scale of civilian killings in Gaza has profoundly shaken this tradition, confronting it with a severe ethical dilemma: Can a state claim to uphold human dignity while supplying bombs and bullets to a government accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity?
The trajectory of developments suggests that for German public opinion and a significant segment of its political class, the answer is increasingly no. Widespread domestic protests, overwhelming public opposition to continued arms exports, and growing divisions within the ruling coalition have gradually pushed Germany’s policy toward greater caution.
Ultimately, it must be emphasized that the German government must now fully uphold international humanitarian law and refrain from exporting large-scale weaponry to Tel Aviv—arms that, according to numerous international institutions, are being used not only in Gaza but across the broader Middle East to perpetrate genocide and war crimes. Failure to do so would render Germany’s professed commitment to human rights a bitter irony in the eyes of the global public and would undoubtedly have grave consequences for its moral standing in the international community.
References
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