Israel's allies face accusations of genocide against Palestinians over arms shipments

Israel's allies face accusations of genocide against the Gaza Strip and supporting war crimes as they continue to supply it with weapons. The New York Times writes about this. Many of the country's partners have already stopped its military support.

Last week, the International Court of Justice held hearings on Nicaragua's claim against Germany for violating the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide. The reason was the ongoing supply of weapons from Germany to Israel. At the trial, German representatives rejected accusations of genocide, saying that Berlin was “doing everything possible to fulfill its obligations to both the Israeli and Palestinian people.” However, these accusations have offended German authorities, given Germany's crimes during World War II, writes the NYT. According to the publication, in 2023 the country approved the export of weapons to Israel worth about $353 million.

“There was an emotional wave going through parts of German society, with many people supporting either side of the conflict,” said Christian Mölling, research director at the German Council on Foreign Relations. However, he is not sure that public antipathy towards Israel will ultimately lead to an end to German arms supplies. According to Melling, the total volume of these supplies is already at a “strikingly low” level.

Shortly after the hearings at the International Court of Justice, New York Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks said he might block the $18 billion deal to sell F-15 fighter jets to Israel. According to him, this will happen unless he is provided with evidence that Palestinian civilians will not be bombed with these weapons.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also came under pressure, writes NYT. At the next briefing, journalists demanded from him a report on the results of the government's investigation: British authorities were trying to understand whether Israel had violated international humanitarian law during the offensive in Gaza. Cameron answered ambiguously, the publication notes. He defended Israel and said the government had made no recommendations to stop arms exports. At the same time, he added that he had only the “latest assessment” of the situation.

According to Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza, cited by the NYT, over the past six months, more than 33 thousand people have died there, including 13 thousand children. As the number of victims grew, Belgium, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain stopped supplying arms to Israel.

Israel denies accusations of genocide. The country's authorities say they are defending it from Hamas militants who attacked Israel on October 7. About 1,200 people died then.

Germany and the United States remain the main sources of military support for Israel, the publication notes, citing data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. According to his information, these countries account for 95% of the weapons systems supplied to Israel. Washington remains the largest exporter: in 2016, the United States pledged to provide Israel with a 10-year military aid package worth $38 billion.

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