“Stand with the Israelis”
Israel asks Germany for ammunition for warships
October 12, 2023, 8:17 a.m
Political support instead of arms delivery, said Defense Minister Pistorius on Wednesday. A day later, Germany provides Israel with combat drones and ammunition in the war with Hamas.
Israel has asked Germany for ammunition for warships in light of Hamas’ terrorist attacks. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said this on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels. In addition, according to information from the German Press Agency, blood supplies and protective vests were also requested. Pistorius said they will now discuss the requests with the Israelis. “We stand with the Israelis.”
The Federal Ministry of Defense had previously confirmed on Wednesday evening that Germany would support Israel with up to two Heron TP combat drones leased from the Bundeswehr. The Bundeswehr currently leases five drones of this type. In Israel, German soldiers are trained on them. The Israeli drone model is available in the reconnaissance version, but also as a combat drone equipped with precision missiles.
As recently as Wednesday afternoon, Pistorius said that there was no indication that Israel wanted to request weapons and equipment from partners such as Germany to fight against Hamas. If the worst comes to the worst, we will of course consult with our partners about this.
Stealth corvettes from Germany
The Israeli army is currently massively attacking targets in the Gaza Strip. Terrorists had previously carried out a massacre of Israeli civilians in border towns and at a music festival on Saturday on behalf of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. According to the army, the number of deaths is more than 1,200. At least 3,000 other people were injured. The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli military actions was put at least 1,055 on Wednesday. The Ministry of Health in Gaza said around 5,000 more people were injured.
Germany and Israel have long-standing trade relationships in the naval sector. In the past, Germany delivered the last of four modern corvettes with stealth technology to Israel in 2021. The contract with manufacturer ThyssenKrupp was worth around 430 million euros. The Israeli Ministry of Defense insisted at the time that all weapons systems on the boats were Israeli-made. This was intended to secure large-scale orders for the Israeli defense industry.