BERLIN, Germany — Germany’s highest court on Thursday threw out a case brought by a Palestinian civilian from Gaza who sought to sue the German government over its weapons exports to Israel.

The complainant in the arms case, who was supported by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), had been seeking to challenge export licenses for German parts used in Israeli tanks deployed in Gaza.

Berlin, a strong ally of Israel, nevertheless imposed a partial arms embargo on Israel last August, but then lifted it after a ceasefire deal was reached in October. The speaker of Germany’s lower house of parliament, visiting the Strip on Tuesday, urged that the larger plan for Gaza be advanced beyond the current truce.

The complainant in the arms case, after it was rejected by lower courts in 2024 and 2025, appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court.

But the court in Karlsruhe dismissed the case, stating that “the complainant has not sufficiently substantiated that the specialized courts misjudged or arbitrarily denied a possible duty to protect him.”

While Germany is obliged to protect human rights and respect international humanitarian law, this does not mean the state is necessarily obliged to take specific action on behalf of individuals, the court said.

“It is fundamentally the responsibility of the state authorities themselves to decide how they fulfill their general duty of protection,” it added.

The ECCHR called the decision “a setback for civilian access to justice.”

“The court........

© The Times of Israel