In view of the renewed Israeli airstrike on the Palestinian refugee camp Ain el-Hilweh near Saida in Lebanon with many dead and injured, Misereor criticises the German government's plans to allow arms exports for Israel again from next week as cynical.

"We are deeply dismayed by the actions of the Israeli army, which is accepting many civilian victims in its attack, especially young people and children who were playing football on a sports field. The targeted bombing of a densely populated refugee camp represents a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law and cannot be justified by anything," explains Andreas Frick, Misereor's Managing Director. The efforts to stabilise Lebanon are being thwarted by the actions of the Israeli army

The fear of further attacks is omnipresent

Sylvia Haddad, Director of Misereor's partner organisation "The Joint Christian Committee" (JCC) in Lebanon, which runs educational projects for young refugees and children in the affected camp, reports that the psychological wounds suffered by the survivors and their relatives are deep. "The people in the camp are in shock. Many children and families don't know how to deal with what they have experienced. The fear of further attacks is omnipresent. Israeli drones can constantly be seen over the refugee camp and we have had to suspend school operations for the time being," says Haddad.

Misereor is calling on the German government to continue to suspend arms deliveries to Israel. "At this point in time, allowing arms exports to Israel again cannot be justified, even in view of the recent incidents in Lebanon and a very fragile ceasefire in Gaza. As long as Israel continues to so blatantly disregard international humanitarian law, Germany must not encourage further human rights violations and attacks on civilians through its arms exports. Germany is complicit," emphasises Frick.