""When Friedrich Merz voices this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend," the diplomat told German public broadcaster ZDF."
"Eleven weeks later, the tone was quite different: at the beginning of August, in view of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Merz decided to stop supplying certain military equipment to Israel "until further notice.""
"According to the chancellor, the German government could not supply weapons to a conflict that could cause "hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties.""
Friedrich Merz has engaged directly with the German–Israeli special relationship since taking office seven months ago. Disputes emerged over Israel’s military response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which killed over 1,200 Israelis. The Gaza health ministry reports at least 70,000 Palestinian deaths since October 2023, a figure regarded as reliable by the UN and many rights organizations. Numerous international rights groups and a UN commission of inquiry have found Israel’s campaign in Gaza to meet the threshold of genocide. Merz signaled concern about breaches of international humanitarian law and halted certain weapons deliveries, prompting sharp Israeli criticism.
Read at www.dw.com
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