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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Amid calls for arms embargo, who supplies Israel's weapons?
Amid calls for arms embargo, who supplies Israel's weapons? (Photo: AP) Spain has asked European countries to suspend arms shipments to Israel, as international condemnation grows over its conduct in Gaza. At a meeting of the "Madrid Group" hosted by the Spanish government, the Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called for an immediate suspension of Europe's cooperation deal with Israel and an embargo on arms shipments. "We must all agree on a joint arms embargo," said Albares prior to the conference. "The last thing the Middle East needs right now is weapons." Among those at the meeting were representatives from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Morocco and Brazil, along with several intergovernmental organizations. However, only a fraction of the nations represented at the Madrid Group meeting actually supply Israel with armaments. Israel is also one of the world's top exporters of armaments, so it has a powerful internal supply of weaponry as well. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in March reported that Israel is the 15th biggest importer of arms globally, despite it being actively involved in conflict, accounting for less than 2% of global imports. Its imports have also dropped by around 2.3% in the last five years, compared to the preceding period. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like '5월 한정, 직장인 대상 대출 가능 여부 무료 조회 급증' 신청 몰려 조기 마감 우려 직장인 대출 센터 더 읽기 Undo Crucially, three nations account for almost all of Israel's weapons supply: the United States, Germany and Italy. US is Israel's biggest arms supplier By far, the US is the biggest arms supplier to Israel, both since the October 7, 2023 attacks and also historically. Though its proportional supply has reduced over the last decade, it still accounted for about two-thirds of Israel's imports from 2020 to 2024, according to SIPRI. This includes aircraft, armored vehicles and guided bombs. Israel is also the top recipient of US aid historically, according to the US-based, nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). As well as a substantial economic contribution between 1946 and 2024, Israel has received $228 billion (€200 billion) in military support from the US. Today, most US foreign aid to Israel is military spending. This includes an existing agreement to provide $3.8 billion in support until 2028. Most aid provided by the US must be spent on the purchase of American military equipment and services, according to the CFR. It's unlikely that the US will change its support for Israel. Attempts led by independent senator Bernie Sanders to withhold billions in military sales to Israel were rejected by the US Senate in both April 2025 and November 2024. Germany will continue to provide Israel weapons Germany is a long-time diplomatic and military supporter of Israel. From 2020 to 2024, Germany accounted for about a third of Israel's incoming arms supply, mostly naval frigates and torpedoes. SIPRI researcher Zain Hussain told DW via email that "Israel has relied on Germany for […] naval capabilities," and that Israel has an incoming submarine order from Germany. Germany's arms supply to Israel has also included armored vehicles, trucks, anti-tank weapons and ammunition. And that is unlikely to change, despite Spain's calls for an embargo. "As a country that understands Israel's security and existence as a core principle, Germany is always obliged to assist Israel," said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday. Those comments came as German Chancellor Frederich Merz told public broadcaster WDR he "no longer understands" Israel's objective in Gaza and that its actions could "no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas." Despite Merz's remark, any future restriction on Germany's arms supply would be a significant development. Germany provided more than €131 million ($137 million) in arms exports in 2024, according to government statistics. The figure in 2023 was €326 million. Italy accounts for 1% of Israel's arms Italy contributes around 1% of Israel's weapons. But by Italian law, it is prohibited from doing so given the conflict. The Italian government has been critical of Israel's actions, but reports last year found it continued to supply Israel following the commencement of hostilities in October 2023. That reportedly included €2.1 million ($2.4 million) in the last quarter of 2023, during which Israel's offensive was underway. That was despite assurances from the Italian government that shipments had ceased. Analysis performed on government accounts by Italian news outlet Altreconomia found Italy supplied €5.2 million in arms to Israel last year. Some EU nations have reduced their exports Israel has no shortage of armaments, either produced domestically or through its major backers. Despite pressure from European nations to adopt an arms embargo, Hussain said the most effective block would require Israel's primary armorers to join up. "The USA and Germany are the most important suppliers of major arms to Israel. For there to be maximum pressure on Israel's major arms capabilities, these states would have to be involved in an arms embargo," Hussain said. Some European nations have either stopped the supply of weaponry, or have suspended export licenses. These include France, Spain and the UK, though their contributions are less than 0.1% of Israel's total intake. However, a study of UK trade data, cited by The Guardian in May, found that the country sent Israel thousands of military items despite the export ban. A major change in US foreign policy would be required for Germany to heed Spain's call, said Catherine Gegout, an international relations researcher at the University of Nottingham in the UK. "I think there would be much more pressure on Germany if the US changed as well," Gegout told DW. "But I'm not sure the rest of the EU states [opposing arms] will be enough to change that special relationship with Israel." Despite Germany's long-standing commitment to Israel, Gegout said its ongoing weapons supply is becoming a problem for the European Union. "I think it's a gigantic problem for the EU that Germany is sending so many weapons," Gegout said. She said Spain's attempt to implement an arms embargo serves both a direct and symbolic purpose for countries that may oppose Israel's activities in Gaza.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Gaza rescuers say 13 killed in Israeli strike on school
Gaza's civil defence agency says it does not have the equipment needed to lift rubble to rescue the wounded and recover martyrs. (AP pic) GAZA CITY : Palestinian rescuers said an Israeli strike at dawn today killed 13 people at a Gaza City school, as Israel presses ahead with what it has described as a renewed push to destroy Hamas. 'Civil defence crews in Gaza City retrieved 13 martyrs and 21 injured from inside Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood, after the Israeli occupation forces targeted it at dawn today,' Gaza's civil defence agency wrote on Telegram. Israel has stepped up its offensive this month, aiming for 'the defeat of Hamas', more than 18 months after the group's October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. The intensified fighting has drawn condemnation from the international community as an aid blockade lasting almost three months has worsened shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine in the Palestinian territory. Spain's foreign minister on Sunday called for sanctions on Israel as European and Arab nations gathered in Madrid. ADVERTISEMENT VIDCRUNCH Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Quality Auto Back 360p 240p 144p Auto Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x / Skip Ads by The talks aimed to stop Israel's 'inhumane' and 'senseless' war in Gaza, Jose Manuel Albares told reporters before the meeting opened. Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza 'massively, without conditions and without limits, and not controlled by Israel', he added, describing the territory as humanity's 'open wound'. Spain also urged partners to impose an arms embargo on Israel and 'not rule out any' individual sanctions against those 'who want to ruin the two-state solution forever', he added. The fresh condemnation came after Gaza rescuers said 22 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli air strikes across the Palestinian territory yesterday. Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said seven people were killed in a strike on a home in Jabalia, in the north. Some people were still under the debris, he added, as 'the civil defence does not have search equipment or heavy equipment to lift the rubble to rescue the wounded and recover the martyrs'. 'Hunger, desperation' Two more people, including a woman who was seven months pregnant, were killed in an attack targeting tents sheltering displaced people around Nuseirat in central Gaza, he said, adding that doctors were unable to save the unborn child. Also included in the toll were the civil defence's director of operations Ashraf Abu Nar and his wife, according to Bassal. Fatal strikes were also recorded around Deir el-Balah in the centre of the territory, Beit Lahia in the north, and the main southern city of Khan Yunis. Gaza's civil defence agency said Saturday that an Israeli strike in the southern city of Khan Yunis killed nine children of a pair of married doctors, with the Israeli army saying it was reviewing the reports. Israel has in recent days partially eased a blockade that was imposed on March 2 and exacerbated widespread shortages of food and medicine in Gaza. Cogat, the Israeli defence ministry body that coordinates civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, said '107 trucks belonging to the UN and the international community carrying humanitarian aid… were transferred' into Gaza yesterday. But critics charge this is nowhere near enough, especially as many of the aid trucks end up being looted. The World Food Programme has called on Israel 'to get far greater volumes of food assistance into Gaza faster', saying 'Hunger, desperation and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming is contributing to rising insecurity.' Aid controversy The head of a controversial US-backed group preparing to move aid into the Gaza Strip also announced his abrupt resignation yesterday. In a statement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, executive director Jake Wood said that he felt compelled to leave after determining the organisation could not fulfil its mission in a way that adhered to 'humanitarian principles'. The foundation has vowed to distribute about 300 million meals in its first 90 days of operation. But the UN and traditional aid agencies have already said they will not cooperate with the group, amid accusations it is working with Israel. Gaza's health ministry said Sunday that at least 3,785 people had been killed in the territory since a ceasefire collapsed on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,939, mostly civilians. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
DW
5 days ago
- Business
- DW
Amid calls for arms embargo, who supplies Israel's weapons? – DW – 05/26/2025
Spain calls for arms embargo on Israel as Gaza violence escalates — but real pressure would require action from three major weapons exporters. Spain has asked European countries to suspend arms shipments to Israel as international condemnation grows over its conduct in Gaza. At a meeting of the "Madrid Group" hosted by the Spanish government, the host country's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called for an immediate suspension of Europe's cooperation deal with Israel. He also called for an embargo on arms shipments. "We must all agree on a joint arms embargo," said Albares prior to the conference. "The last thing the Middle East needs right now is weapons." Among those at the meeting were representatives from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Morocco and Brazil and several intergovernmental organizations. However, only a fraction of the nations represented at the Madrid Group meeting actually supply Israel with armaments. Israel is also one of the world's top exporters of armaments, so it has a powerful internal supply of weaponry as well. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in March reported that Israel is the 15th biggest importer of arms globally, despite it being actively involved in conflict, accounting for less than two percent of global imports. Its imports have also dropped by around 2.3% in the last five years, compared to the preceding period. Crucially, three nations account for almost all of Israel's weapons supply: the United States, Germany and Italy. United States is Israel's biggest arms supplier By far, the US is the biggest arms supplier to Israel, both since the October 7 attacks and also historically. Though its proportional supply has reduced over the last decade, it still accounted for about two-thirds of Israel's imports from 2020-2024, according to SIPRI. This includes aircraft, armored vehicles and guided bombs. Israel is also the top recipient of US aid historically, according to the US-based, nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). As well as a substantial economic contribution between 1946 and 2024, Israel has received $228 billion in military support from the US. Today, most US foreign aid to Israel is military spending. This includes an existing agreement to provide $3.8 billion in support until 2028. Most aid provided by the US must be spent on the purchase of American military equipment and services, according to the CFR. It's unlikely that the US will change its support for Israel. Attempts led by independent senator Bernie Sanders to withhold billions in military sales to Israel were rejected by the US Senate in both April 2025 and November 2024. Germany will continue to provide Israel weapons Germany is a long-time diplomatic and military supporter of Israel. From 2020-2024, Germany accounted for about a third of Israel's incoming arms supply, mostly naval frigates and torpedoes. SIPRI researcher Zain Hussain told DW via email that "Israel has relied on Germany for […] naval capabilities" and that Israel has an incoming submarine order from Germany. Germany's arms supply to Israel has also included armored vehicles, trucks, anti-tank weapons and ammunition. And that is unlikely to change, despite Spain's calls for an embargo. "As a country that understands Israel's security and existence as a core principle, Germany is always obliged to assist Israel," said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. Those comments came as German chancellor Frederich Merz told public broadcaster WDR he "no longer understands' Israel's objective in Gaza and that its actions could "no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas." Despite his remark, any future restriction on Germay's arms supply would be a significant development. Germany provided more than €131 million ($137 million) in arms exports in 2024, according to government statistics. The figure in 2023 was €326 million. Italy accounts for 1% of Israel's arms Italy contributes around one percent of Israel's arms. But by Italian law, it is prohibited from doing so given the conflict. The Italian government has been critical of Israel's actions, however reports last year found it continued to supply Israel following the commencement of hostilities in October 2023. That reportedly included €2.1 million ($2.4 million US) in the last quarter of 2023, during which Israel's offensive was under way. That was despite assurances from the Italian government that shipments had ceased. Analysis performed on government accounts by Italian news outlet Altreconomia found Italy supplied €5.2 million in arms to Israel last year. Israeli protesters demand end to Gaza war To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some EU nations have reduced their exports Israel has no shortage of armaments either produced domestically or through its major backers. Despite pressure from European nations to adopt an arms embargo, Hussain said the most effective block would requires Israel's primary armorers to join. "The USA and Germany are the most important suppliers of major arms to Israel. For there to be maximum pressure on Israel's major arms capabilities, these states would have to be involved in an arms embargo," Hussain said. Some European nations have either stopped the supply of weaponry, or have suspended export licenses. These include France, Spain and the UK, though their contributions are less than 0.1% of Israel's total intake. However, a study of UK trade data, cited by The Guardian in May, found that the country sent Israel thousands of military items despite export ban. However for Germany to heed Spain's call, a major change in US foreign policy would be required, said Catherine Gegout, an international relations researcher at the University of Nottingham, UK. "I think there would be much more pressure on Germany if the US changed as well," Gegout told DW. "But I'm not sure the rest of the EU states [opposing arms] will be enough to change that special relationship with Israel." Despite Germany's long-standing commitment to Israel, Gegout said its ongoing weapons supply is becoming a problem for the European Union. "I think it's a gigantic problem for the EU that Germany is sending so many weapons," Gegout said. She said Spain's attempt to implement an arms embargo serves both a direct and symbolic purpose for countries that may oppose Israel's activities in Gaza. Edited by: Jess Smee
Jordan News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
FM takes part in Madrid-hosted meeting on Gaza - Jordan News
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs, due to attend a meeting organized by Madrid, on Sunday, in an attempt to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and to advance the two-state solution as the sole means of bringing about a just comprehensive peace. اضافة اعلان A delegation from the Ministerial Committee appointed by the Extraordinary Joint Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza is attending the meeting, which was called by Jose Manuel Albares, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation. The delegation's chairman is His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar; Mohammed Mustafa, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine; Badr Abdel Ati, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the Arab League and Hussein Ibrahim Taha, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other ministries as well as Arab, European, and non-European officials. Before the meeting, Safadi will have extensive talks on how to improve bilateral ties and regional developments with Jose Manuel Albares, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation. A number of his counterparts will also meet with Safadi to talk about bilateral ties and measures to step up efforts to develop a unified worldwide stance to stop Israel's aggression on Gaza and put an end to the humanitarian crisis brought on by the aggression.
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Spain calls for int'l sanctions on Israel to stop inhumane war in Gaza - War on Gaza
The international community should look at sanctions against Israel to stop the Gaza war, Spain's foreign minister said Sunday, as European and Arab nations gathered in Madrid to urge an end to its attacks. Some of Israel's long-standing allies have added their voices to growing international pressure after it expanded military assaults in Gaza. An Israeli aid blockade lasting almost three months has worsened shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine in the Palestinian territory, sparking warnings of looming famine. Aid organisations say the trickle of supplies Israel has recently allowed to enter falls far short of needs. The talks aimed to stop Israel's "inhumane" and "senseless" war in Gaza, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters before the meeting opened. Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza "massively, without conditions and without limits, and not controlled by Israel", he added, describing the territory as humanity's "open wound". Representatives from European countries including France, Britain, Germany and Italy joined envoys from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Morocco, the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Norway, Iceland, Ireland and Slovenia, who like Spain have already recognised a Palestinian state, also took part, alongside Brazil. After the European Union decided this week to review its cooperation deal with Israel, Albares told reporters Spain would request its "immediate suspension". Spain would also urge partners to impose an arms embargo on Israel and "not rule out any" individual sanctions against those "who want to ruin the two-state solution forever", he added. 'Time for action' Sunday's meeting also promoted a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said he wanted to "move as fast as possible to a peace where Palestine and Israel can coexist and bring stability and security for the whole region". Albares told Cadena SER radio after the summit that the event made progress by including more EU powers like France, Germany and Italy in the format. They would "never give up on peace in the Middle East", he said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will meet the Palestinian Authority's minister of state for foreign affairs, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, during a trip to Yerevan this next week, his office announced on Sunday. Barrot spoke with a number of Arab foreign ministers on Sunday to discuss efforts "to restore a diplomatic perspective for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict", his office said. The diplomatic drive comes one month before a UN conference on the Palestinian cause, chaired by France and Saudi Arabia in New York. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said his country will back draft resolutions at the United Nations aimed at ramping up aid access to Gaza and holding Israel to account over its international humanitarian obligations. Israel killed at least 54,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly children and women, since it started the war in October 2023. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
