Germany has announced a halt to arms exports to Israel, citing concerns over Israel’s plans to expand its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said the decision was driven by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and fears that further military expansion could lead to mass civilian casualties and require the evacuation of the entire city of Gaza. Despite the move, the Chancellor emphasized that the core principles of Germany’s policy toward Israel remain unchanged. Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier after the United States.