European nations persist in supplying arms to Israel amid its ongoing army operations in Gaza, regardless of accusations of genocide on the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France, Italy, Germany and the U.S., collectively accounted for 81% of arms imports to the Middle East from 2019 to 2023.
SIPRI, an impartial world institute headquartered in Sweden, focuses on researching battle, armaments, arms management, and disarmament.
Israel’s army spending elevated by 24% to 25.25 billion euros ($27.5 billion) following its assaults on Gaza, making it the second-largest arms spender within the Middle East.
From 2014 to 2022, the European Union granted export licenses to Israel value about $6.8 billion.
These weapons are suspected to have contributed to the deaths of greater than 38,000 civilians in Gaza, together with 10,000 girls and greater than 15,000 kids.
While some European international locations, together with Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, determined to halt arms gross sales to Israel, press reviews counsel that this commerce has continued.
Key European suppliers
Germany stays Israel’s largest European arms provider, offering roughly 30% of Israel’s imports between 2019 and 2023.
In 2023, German arms deliveries to Israel elevated tenfold to 326.5 million euros, peaking after Oct. 7.
Most of France’s arms exports from 2019 to 2023 went to international locations within the Middle East, accounting for 34% of its whole exports.
The nation gives elements for Israel’s missile protection system, generally known as the Iron Dome.
Despite legal guidelines limiting arms gross sales to human rights violators, Italy offered 2.1 million euros value of weapons to Israel within the final quarter of 2023.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto claimed there have been no new arms transfers to Israel since Oct. 7, though reviews point out ongoing gross sales by firms corresponding to Leonardo.
Italy’s export licenses to Israel from 2014 to 2022, together with for warships, small arms, artillery, plane, and ammunition, had been value a complete of 114 million euros.
The U.Okay. has issued greater than $576 million in arms licenses to Israel since 2015.
Additionally, 15% of the supplies used within the manufacturing of the F-35 fighter jets bought by Israel since 2016 are provided by British firms, in keeping with a report by the London-based charity Action on Armed Violence.
Spain has not reported any arms gross sales to Israel since Oct. 7, however information from November 2023 reveals a switch of ammunition value 987,000 euros.
Between 2014 and 2022, Spain issued export licenses value 99 million euros, together with for ammunition and army automobiles.
Other European suppliers
The Netherlands issued 19 million euros in export licenses to Israel from 2014 to 2022, peaking at 10 million euros in 2022 alone.
A court docket ruling in 2024 within the nation halted exports of F-35 elements to Israel, citing the chance of violations of humanitarian legislation.
Despite halting arms gross sales, Belgium transferred 46 million euros in arms to Israel from 2014 to 2022, together with explosives and plane elements.
Portugal issued greater than 12.5 million euros in export licenses to Israel, most of it for aircraft-related supplies.
Austria’s arms licenses to Israel totaled 33 million euros, Slovakia’s 117 million euros, and the Czech Republic’s arms exports totaled 127 million euros from 2014 to 2022, with latest deliveries of ballistic vests and army gear.
Hungary’s gross sales exceeded 15 million euros, with notable contracts for the manufacturing of drones involving Israeli and German firms.
Poland’s 4.9 million euros in arms exports to Israel, Slovenia’s 6.1 million euros, and Romania’s 427 million euros included plane, army automobiles, and ammunition transfers.
Bulgaria’s 49 million euros in arms included explosives and light-weight weapons.
Serbia’s state-owned Yugoimport-SDPR reported 14 million euros in arms exports to Israel in early 2024.
The whole worth of the 21 export licenses between Greece and Israel was recorded at 7.6 million euros.
Nordic, Baltic international locations
Sweden issued licenses value lower than 1.3 million euros for weapon sights and management programs, with a major contract with Israel’s Elbit Systems value $170 million in late 2023.
Norwegian firms have reportedly circumvented restrictions prohibiting arms gross sales to battle zones by means of overseas subsidiaries.
Denmark issued licenses value greater than 1 million euros to Israel, with the most important sale ever between the 2 international locations reaching 403,000 euros in 2022. The nation faces a lawsuit from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) over its arms exports to Israel.
Finland’s 2.4 million euros in licenses coated digital gear, armor, and weapon sights.
Latvia’s 5.9 million euros in licenses peaked at 4.1 million euros in 2022. Estonia and Lithuania had minimal exports of round 300,000 euros every, largely small arms.
Croatia, Luxembourg, Malta
Croatia’s 681,000 euros in licenses coated armaments and ammunition. Export licenses between Luxembourg and Israel amounted to roughly 671,000 euros, whereas the overall worth of Malta’s export licenses to Israel exceeded 17.5 million euros.
The Greek Cypriot administration’s licenses had been value merely 97,000 euros, with alleged assist for Western army logistics to Israel.
Israel, defying a U.N. Security Council decision demanding a right away cease-fire, has confronted worldwide condemnation for its continued offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023, assault by the Palestinian group Hamas.
Nearly 38,300 Palestinians have been killed since then, largely girls and kids, with at the least 88,241 others injured, in keeping with native well being authorities.
Nine months into the Israeli battle, giant elements of Gaza stay in ruins amid a extreme blockade of meals, clear water, and medication.
Israel faces accusations of genocide on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which just lately ordered it to instantly halt its army operation within the southern metropolis of Rafah, the place over 1,000,000 Palestinians sought refuge earlier than it was invaded on May 6.
Source: www.dailysabah.com