BERLIN 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday defended his government’s decision to resume arms exports to Israel despite the country’s genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels as he arrived at a summit of EU leaders, Scholz said they would discuss the latest developments in the Middle East and their support for Israel against Palestinian group Hamas.

“For me, it is clear that supporting Israel also means that we must ensure Israel's ability to defend itself time and again, for example by supplying military goods or weapons,” he said.

Scholz also noted that while fighting Hamas, Israel must respect international law, allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and refrain from steps that could lead to wider escalation in the region.

His comments came after local media reported that Germany had resumed its arms exports to Israel last week after receiving assurances from Tel Aviv that it would not use the weapons to commit 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 officials in Berlin have repeatedly said the country bears special responsibility for Israel’s security due to its Nazi past.

But critics say Germany’s blanket support for the government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seriously undermining its credibility abroad, and Berlin is increasingly isolating itself on the global stage.

Since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza last October, it has killed more than 42,400 Palestinians and injured more than 99,000 more, mostly women and children.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the besieged enclave, where millions of Palestinians are displaced, facing famine and acute shortages of medical aid and other essentials.