Nearly two-thirds of Germans support Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s decision to partially suspend arms exports to Israel, according to a YouGov survey conducted for dpa.

The poll found that 65 per cent of respondents backed the move announced by the government in Berlin earlier this month, while 19 per cent opposed it and 16 per cent were undecided.

The poll of 2,175 people was conducted in mid-August.

Mr Merz said exports of arms to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip would be suspended, citing the Israeli government’s decision to expand military operations in the Palestinian territory.

The chancellor said that Berlin would continue to back Israel’s right to self-defence but could not provide arms for a conflict that might cost hundreds of thousands of civilian lives.

Support for the decision was above average among voters of the Greens, the Left, the Social Democrats, and Mr Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc.

It was lower among supporters of the pro-business Free Democrats and the far-right AfD.

Opinion was more divided on whether the European Union should review an agreement with Israel that governs political and economic ties.

Several EU states, including Spain and France, have called for the suspension of the pact over Israel’s actions in Gaza.

According to an internal review by the EU earlier this year, Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip, particularly restrictions on humanitarian aid, does not align with the principles outlined in the pact.

Germany opposed suspending or changing the pact, arguing dialogue must remain open.

The survey found 45 per cent backed Berlin’s stance, 32 per cent disagreed, and 23 per cent had no opinion.

The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other Palestinian Islamist militant groups carried out a large-scale attack on Israel.

It resulted in killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages to Gaza.

Since then, more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The figures, which cannot be independently verified, do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

However, international organisations such as the UN considered the figures to be largely credible. 

(dpa/NAN)