On behalf of our plaintiff from the Gaza Strip, today the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) - with the support of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza and the Ramallah-based human rights organization Al Haq - filed a renewed request for provisional measures with the Frankfurt Administrative Court against German arms exports that could be used in Gaza.
Despite the relentless brutality of the Israeli military campaign, Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently made it clear to the public that the federal government will continue to allow the export of German armaments to Israel. With our urgent request, we are sending a clear signal that we are not prepared to set aside Germany’s obligations under international law.
In addition, according to press reports that remain uncontested by the German government, export licenses for spare parts for tanks, which are also used in Israeli Merkava tanks, have already been available to the German armaments company Renk Group AG for some time.
“Palestinians and Israelis deserve the same protection under international law as people in Ukraine or Lebanon. The fact that the German government is seeking assurances from Israel that it will not violate international humanitarian law with German weapons shows that Berlin itself fears such violations in Gaza. However, this Israeli declaration of intent is worthless for the Palestinian civilian population and only serves to ease conscience of the Federal Chancellery,” said Dr. Alexander Schwarz, Deputy Program Director for International Crimes at ECCHR.
Today's lawsuit builds on proceedings from July 2024 concerning similar issues. Our legal efforts to date have clearly had a political impact, and they have contributed to the German government’s decision to obtain assurances from Israel that the exported weapons will be used in compliance with international law. According to the International Arms Trade Treaty, no arms exports may be approved if there is an overwhelming risk that they will be used in violation of international law.
Our plaintiff lives in the Gaza Strip and lost his wife and daughter as a result of attacks by the Israeli army. His life and physical safety are endangered by the ongoing attacks. The licenses we are contesting enable the supply of further armaments that contribute to this danger. We therefore demand that the Federal Republic of Germany do everything within its power to legally protect the life and limb of our plaintiff.
