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As Gaza Faces Starvation, Reluctant Germany Starts to Curb Support for Israel

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks on at the start of a cabinet meeting of the federal government in Berlin, Germany, 30 July 2025. (EPA)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks on at the start of a cabinet meeting of the federal government in Berlin, Germany, 30 July 2025. (EPA)
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As Gaza Faces Starvation, Reluctant Germany Starts to Curb Support for Israel

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks on at the start of a cabinet meeting of the federal government in Berlin, Germany, 30 July 2025. (EPA)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks on at the start of a cabinet meeting of the federal government in Berlin, Germany, 30 July 2025. (EPA)

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.

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

It is a bold move for a leader who after winning elections in February 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 Nazi Holocaust, is being tested like never before as the high Palestinian civilian death toll in Gaza, massive war 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. But I would not see it as a U-turn, rather a 'warning shot'," said Muriel Asseburg, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

It caps months of the German government sharpening its tone over Israel's escalating military campaign in the small, densely populated Palestinian enclave, though still shying away from tougher steps that other European countries and some voices in Merz's ruling coalition were calling for.

The suspension of arms deliveries to Israel would affect just those that could be used in Gaza.

The move reflects a hardening mood in Germany, where public opinion has grown critical of Israel and more demanding that its government help ease a humanitarian disaster - most of the 2.2 million population is homeless and Gaza is a sea of rubble.

According to an ARD-DeutschlandTREND survey released on Thursday, a day before Merz's announcement, 66% of Germans want their government to put more pressure on Israel to change its behavior.

That is higher than April 2024, when some 57% of Germans believed their government should criticize Israel more strongly than before for its actions in Gaza, a Forsa poll showed.

Despite Germany helping air drop aid to Gaza, 47% of Germans think their government is doing too little for Palestinians there, against 39% who disagree with this, the ARD-DeutschlandTREND this week showed.

Most strikingly perhaps, only 31% of Germans feel they have a bigger responsibility for Israel due to their history - a core tenet of German foreign policy - while 62% do not.

Germany's political establishment has cited its approach, known as the "Staatsraison", as a special responsibility for Israel after the Nazi Holocaust, which was laid out in 2008 by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel to the Israeli parliament.

Reflecting that stance days before his most recent trip to Israel in July, Merz's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Die Zeit newspaper that Berlin could not be a "neutral mediator".

"Because we are partisan. We stand with Israel," he said, echoing similar statements by other conservative figures in Merz's party.

But Merz's junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), had already been more explicit in wanting to put sanctions against Israel on the table.

Adis Ahmetovic, an SPD foreign policy spokesperson, said suspending weapons shipments was only the first step.

"More must follow, such as a full or partial suspension of the (European Union) Association Agreement or the medical evacuation of seriously injured children, in particular," Ahmetovic told Stern magazine. "Furthermore, sanctions against Israeli ministers must no longer be taboo."

MEDIA DIVISION

The deepening divide within Germany has also played out in its media landscape.

In two major editorials published in late July, Der Spiegel magazine accused Israel of violating international humanitarian law and condemned what it said was the German government's complicity. The front cover displayed a picture of Gaza women holding out empty bowls with the headline: "A Crime".

Meanwhile Bild, the mass-market daily owned by Axel Springer, Germany's largest media group, decried the lack of outrage toward Islamist Hamas whose cross-border assault on Israeli communities triggered the war, pointing to what it saw as growing anti-Israel sentiment and one-sided protests.

Filipp Piatov, a Bild reporter whose X account is followed by Merz, accused the chancellor on Friday of doing exactly what he had criticized others for, "that Germany is cutting off support to its ally in the middle of a war."

Israel denies having a policy of starvation in Gaza, and says Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people in its October 7, 2023 attack and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, could end the crisis by surrendering.

Israel's ground and air war in Gaza has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Critics had argued that Germany's approach has been overly hesitant, weakening the West's collective ability to apply meaningful pressure for an end to the fighting and restrictions on humanitarian aid to the Israeli-besieged enclave.

Germany had hitherto even been cautious about a modest sanction such as supporting the partial suspension of Israel's access to the EU's flagship research funding program.

There are other reasons for Germany's reluctance to criticize Israel beyond its Nazi past, analysts say, including its strong trading relationship with Israel and the United States.

Germany is Israel's second biggest weapons supplier after the US, but also buys arms from Israel as part of a massive revamp of its armed forces since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That includes the Arrow-3 missile interception system.

Last week, Israeli defense company Elbit Systems announced a $260 million deal with Airbus to equip the German Air Force’s A400M planes with directed infrared defense systems.

"German arrogance should be avoided," Volker Beck, a former member of parliament and the head of the German-Israeli Society, told Reuters.

"If Israel were to retaliate by restricting arms deliveries to Germany, the future of German air security would look grim."

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Displaced Hebron Residents Return Home to Scenes of Destruction after Israeli Operation

People inspect the damage on the roof of a house that was blown up by Israeli forces in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
People inspect the damage on the roof of a house that was blown up by Israeli forces in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
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Displaced Hebron Residents Return Home to Scenes of Destruction after Israeli Operation

People inspect the damage on the roof of a house that was blown up by Israeli forces in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
People inspect the damage on the roof of a house that was blown up by Israeli forces in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026. (AFP)

Hijazi Shawer al-Tamimi, known as Abu al-Raed, had run out of the traditional sweets to hand out to his many grandchildren as they returned with their parents to the family’s large home in the Jalda area of Ain Deir Baha neighborhood in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.

The 70-year-old neighborhood community elder, was celebrating their return after 11 days of forced displacement by the Israeli army.

At least 3,000 people, including more than 200 infants and 32 people with disabilities, were forced from their homes during an Israeli military operation launched in response to an attack by two Palestinian gunmen from Ain Deir Baha.

The attack, carried out at a checkpoint near Hebron less than two weeks earlier, killed two Israeli soldiers.

“We are here, and we will not leave. Our roots are here, like the roots of fig trees in the earth,” Tamimi declared after returning home.

But the joy of returning was quickly overshadowed by scenes of destruction and vandalism. Families who had barely begun celebrating were shocked by the damage to their homes and belongings.

Tamimi, who had been hospitalized a week earlier after Israeli soldiers assaulted him while preventing him from reaching his home, expressed defiance as he returned.

Like other families in the neighborhood, he was finally able to reach his house on Monday after Israeli forces, which had forcibly evicted residents, withdrew.

A children's bedroom, ransacked by Israeli forces during an operation is seen in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026. (AFP)

Videos circulating on social media showed crowds celebrating, cars driving through the streets, young men handing out sweets, women weeping as they entered their homes and children playing in courtyards.

Yet, many residents were stunned by the extent of the damage.

Palestinians accused Israeli soldiers of vandalizing homes, shops and institutions, while others reported thefts. Accounts of looting circulated on social media.

Obaida Mujahid, who owns a photography studio, said his shop had been looted, with losses exceeding 100,000 shekels (about $32,000) after cameras and photographic equipment were stolen.

An unidentified woman accused soldiers of smashing and vandalizing her home. Another recounted how soldiers had destroyed all the items prepared for her daughter’s wedding.

Osama Shawer told the official Palestinian news agency that his sons returned to their apartments to find that Israeli forces had smashed most of their contents.

Children’s toys, perfumes, cash and the children’s savings banks had not been spared from damage and theft, he recounted. Doors had been broken and belongings scattered.

Muhannad al-Tamimi told AFP that his family returned to find their apartment wrecked, with furniture and clothes strewn across the floor, mattresses overturned and toys broken.

Many Palestinians posted images showing the damage and destruction left by soldiers inside their homes.

A Palestinian boy gestures from a car, with belongings on its roof, as people return to their homes after the Israeli military ended an operation, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 2,2026. (Reuters)

Israeli forces launched the operation in Hebron following a Palestinian attack on a checkpoint in the Farsh al-Hawa area on the city’s outskirts. The attack killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others.

During the operation, Israeli troops took control of parts of Hebron, demolished 15 homes and occupied others after expelling their residents, particularly in the Jalda and Deir Baha areas, where the attackers hailed from. The troops withdrew early Monday.

Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin announced that Israeli forces had withdrawn from the entire city, confirming that Palestinian security services had regained full control of the area.

Residents began returning after specialized Palestinian security teams conducted rapid inspections to check for possible explosive remnants.

Despite the declared end of the operation, however, Israeli forces had not left the entire area.

Israeli military sources told the country’s public broadcaster that the withdrawal from Palestinian neighborhoods in Hebron had been postponed until at least after next Saturday.

The delay was attributed to expectations that around 20,000 people would arrive in the city for a Jewish religious event known as Shabbat Chayei Sarah.

The Israeli military issued no formal statement announcing the end of the operation, although a military official confirmed it to journalists.

The official explained that troops had vacated homes in certain areas and were preparing to provide security for the religious event.

Features

Where Things Stand on Iran after a Tense Weekend

An Iranian woman holds Iran's national flag on a street in Tehran on November 1, 2026. (AFP)
An Iranian woman holds Iran's national flag on a street in Tehran on November 1, 2026. (AFP)
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Where Things Stand on Iran after a Tense Weekend

An Iranian woman holds Iran's national flag on a street in Tehran on November 1, 2026. (AFP)
An Iranian woman holds Iran's national flag on a street in Tehran on November 1, 2026. (AFP)

The Middle East is braced for a possible return to all-out war. There are concerns that the United States, along with Israel, could strike Iran shortly after Tuesday’s midterm elections in the US.

Two Iranian officials said their delegation had left Qatar after days of discussions but that messages with the US continued to be exchanged through the mediator. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, The Associated Press reported.

The diplomatic efforts seek to avert new attacks. Tehran has expanded its threats but said it is waiting for the latest US response to a proposal that would fully open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping within two days if Washington meets several conditions.

Here’s where things stand Monday.

Trump had a ‘very good’ call with Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump on Sunday evening told reporters he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a “very good” call on Saturday. He said they discussed Iran but gave no details.

Even before Netanyahu and his bloc of allies lost their majority in parliament in last week’s election, there were growing fears that Netanyahu was pushing for new strikes against Iran in an effort to stay in power in an emergency government during renewed war. Since last Tuesday’s election, the prime minister has publicly commented only on the vote.

There was no word from Netanyahu and his office on the latest call with Trump, who has continued to alternate between public comments about pursuing talks with Iran and threats to strike it hard.

Iran greatly expands threats while sticking with diplomacy

The Iranian Republic has stepped up its public messaging during the uncertainty, saying it is ready for both diplomacy and renewed fighting.

The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, met with Iran’s military chiefs and said the response to “any kind and level of threat” from the US or Israel should be immediate and without “geographic limits,” and urged an expansion of the list of potential targets.

Khamenei still has not been seen publicly since the opening strikes by Israel and the US on Feb. 28 killed his father, the previous supreme leader.

Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, warned on X that any attack would bring “devastating blows on the aggressor using new weapons.”

In an interview with state television, Rezaei said “the tone has completely changed” from the US and called it a “very good sign.” He gave no details about the letter he received from US Vice President JD Vance, which Iran acknowledged last week, and said he had not responded.

Rezaei also said there had been no decision to change Iran’s nuclear doctrine, but he noted that some Iranians had questioned whether that should change if Iran were attacked again. Tehran has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful.

Washington seeks to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and wants to address the issue in any new talks. Iran wants to discuss the nuclear issue later.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, on a one-day visit to neighboring Turkmenistan on Monday, has said the final outcome depends on answers provided by the United States to the “Iranian questions.”

Features

Fear of Renewed War Reshapes Housing Choices in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

Displaced people fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit in traffic at a highway that links to Beirut, in the southern port city of Sidon. (AP)
Displaced people fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit in traffic at a highway that links to Beirut, in the southern port city of Sidon. (AP)
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Fear of Renewed War Reshapes Housing Choices in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

Displaced people fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit in traffic at a highway that links to Beirut, in the southern port city of Sidon. (AP)
Displaced people fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit in traffic at a highway that links to Beirut, in the southern port city of Sidon. (AP)

Fear of another war is prompting residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs to relocate or rent homes elsewhere. Housing decisions are no longer driven solely by the possibility of destruction or evacuation warnings. The prospect of renewed fighting is increasingly influencing where people choose to live, how they plan their marriages and even where they intend to spend their retirement.

Testimonies gathered by Asharq Al-Awsat reveal how families are reorganizing their lives in search of safety. Some have left the southern suburb, known as Dahiyeh, altogether, while others remain in their homes but maintain alternative accommodation in case they need to flee.

From homeowners paying additional rent to newlyweds choosing larger apartments to shelter relatives, security concerns are increasingly outweighing financial and social considerations.

Marital home for two families

For newlywed Nadia Houri, choosing a marital home was anything but a conventional decision.

Having lived in Beirut’s southern suburbs before her marriage, she decided to move to Bchamoun, making the possibility of another war a central consideration.

“When I decided to get married, I wasn’t thinking only about the home where my husband and I would live, but also about somewhere my family and my husband’s family could seek shelter if another war broke out,” Houri told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike that targeted the Haret Hreik neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs. (AFP)

“That’s why I chose Bchamoun. I made sure the building was safe and the apartment spacious enough to accommodate both families.”

She said the additional expense was preferable to being unable to help relatives forced to flee their homes.

“I would rather bear the extra cost than see my family or my husband’s family displaced with nowhere to go. I wanted to be prepared for any emergency.”

Trauma of bombardment drives residents away

Lana Shouaib, from the Mreijeh neighborhood in the southern suburbs, rented a small studio in Beirut’s Ashrafieh after becoming increasingly uneasy about returning home. Her parents, meanwhile, moved to their village in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

“The situation is worrying, and security fears aren’t the only reason we’re staying away from the southern suburbs,” Shouaib told Asharq Al-Awsat. “The area is still suffering from all the destruction and water problems. All these factors made me look for somewhere else.”

Her greatest concern, however, remains the possibility of renewed airstrikes, particularly after experiencing a nighttime attack. With no guarantees that war will not resume, she finds the prospect of returning increasingly difficult. Shouaib is now considering leaving the neighborhood permanently.

“When this situation ends and things return to normal, we’ll sell the house and look somewhere else,” she said, acknowledging how difficult it is to abandon a home into which someone has invested a lifetime of hard work.

Retirement at an additional cost

Khaireddine, who asked that his full name not be published, did not wait for his home in the Sainte-Therese neighborhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs to suffer damage before deciding to leave.

Although the property remained intact, he and his wife moved to Khaldeh in Mount Lebanon, where they rented a house for $600 a month, hoping to spend their retirement away from fear and the prospect of repeated displacement.

“My house wasn’t damaged, and we could have stayed there. But we’re tired of being afraid and of the possibility of having to flee again,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “We’ve reached an age when we want to rest and live peacefully, away from bombardment and anxiety about another war.”

Families displaced by Israeli strikes from southern Lebanon seek refuge at a school transformed into a shelter in Sidon. (AFP)

Their decision was also influenced by a desire to remain close to their children, who live in Khaldeh and the surrounding area.

Khaireddine acknowledged that paying $600 in monthly rent despite owning a habitable property placed an additional financial burden on the couple during retirement. But for him, the trade-off was worthwhile.

“Peace of mind has become more important to us,”he explained.

A summer chalet becomes an emergency refuge

Unlike those who have left, Abu Ali, a man in his 80s, still lives in his home in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

He has nevertheless taken a precautionary step, renting a chalet in Faraya on an annual lease in case another war erupts.

“I still live in the southern suburbs, and I don’t want to leave my home. But I’ve rented a chalet in Faraya for the whole year so I have somewhere to go if war resumes,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“I usually use it in the summer, but I decided to keep it in case of an emergency.”

Abu Ali explained that his advanced age had made him more determined to secure accommodation where he could relocate immediately if the security situation deteriorated, rather than search for shelter in the middle of a crisis.