The co-chair of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz for pledging to continue to support Israel.
Tino Chrupalla, the Federal Parliamentary Group leader, stated that by supplying arms to Israel, Scholz is effectively accepting all civilian casualties on both sides.
He argued that rather than contributing to de-escalation, this action exacerbates the conflict.
The German government believes it can resolve the Middle East conflicts through arms shipments, he said and insisted that German weapons should not be provided to any warring party.
He emphasized the need to protect the people of the region and asserted that it is time to engage in a critical and objective dialogue with the Israeli government.
The politician further noted that the shared goal in the region should be peace and a two-state solution, pointing out that the recent attack on the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has once again shown that the situation is spiraling out of control.
Addressing lawmakers at the German parliament, Scholz blamed Hamas for the conflict, and said Germany will continue to show solidarity with Israel, and will continue its arms deliveries to ensure Israel is in a position to defend itself.
"That is why we have supplied weapons and armaments in the past, that is why we are doing this at the moment, and we will continue such deliveries in the future as well. Israel can always rely on us for this,” Scholz told lawmakers.
His comments came after local media reported that Germany resumed its arms exports to Israel last week, after receiving assurances from the Israeli government that it would not use German weapons in a "genocide.”
The Greens Party, which is part of Scholz's ruling coalition, is said to have blocked the export of weapons of war to Israel in the past months, fearing that deliveries may constitute violations of international law.
Germany has been a staunch ally of Israel, and government officials have repeatedly said the country bears special responsibility for Israel’s security due to its Nazi past.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas last October.
More than 42,400 people have since been killed, most of them women and children, and over 99,000 injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
