While Israeli tanks advance in Gaza, Germany says it was not decided if it will support a key proposal aimed at sanctioning the Jewish state
The Israeli Merkava tanks, stationed along the border with the Gaza strip, while Israel triggered a new scope campaign on Gaza, on September 16, 2025: PHOTO: Eddie Gerald / Alamy / Profimedia
Germany will make a decision on supporting the sanctions of the European Union against Israel before the EU meeting in Copenhagen to be held in October, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a visit to Madrid, according to Reuters.
Speaking with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Merz said that Israel's actions in the Gaza strip are not proportional to the stated objectives, but added that Germany does not share the opinion that these actions are genocide.
He added that, for Germany, the recognition of Palestinian statehood is not in question.
Merz's comments emphasize that Germany is increasingly willing to criticize Israel, but is still reluctant to take punitive measures against a country to which the Berlin government feels a special responsibility.
The European Commission proposed on Wednesday, due to the war in the Gaza Strip, the suspension of a commercial agreement affecting Israeli exports worth about 5.8 billion euros ($ 6.87 billion), although the measure does not currently support EU countries to be adopted.
“We will reach the next few days to a final opinion of the German government on these questions, which now has to receive an answer at European level,” Merz said.
“We will discuss these problems again next week at the level of the federal office. I suppose we will then have a position at the informal council meeting on October 1 in Copenhagen, which will be supported by the entire German government,” said the federal chancellor.
Berlin maintains a position that it has a special obligation towards Israel because of Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust of European Jews, a position that has been tested due to the increasing concern of Europe in the conflict in the Gaza Strip, in which about 64,000 Palestinians were killed.
On Thursday, Israeli tanks advanced in two areas of Gaza, which are access to the city center, while the Internet and telephone lines have been interrupted throughout the Palestian Enclava, a sign that terrestrial operations will climb imminently.
Two Israeli soldiers, killed on the border with Jordan. The attacker was a driver on a car with humanitarian aids for Gaza
