Serbia boosts arms exports to Israel despite global criticism over Gaza conflict

Shafaq News/ Serbia has sharply increased its arms exports to Israel, despite growing international pressure to halt military supplies in light of the conflict in Gaza, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday.

State-owned Yugoimport-SDPR, Serbia’s primary arms exporter, shipped over $8 million worth of weapons to Israel in July, bringing total Serbian arms and ammunition exports to the country in 2024 to €23.1 million ($25.5 million).

Haaretz reported that at least 15 flights from Belgrade have landed at an Israeli airbase since December 2023, underscoring Serbia's continued arms trade despite concerns over alleged war crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

This surge in exports follows a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution in May that called for a ban on arms sales to Israel over the ongoing conflict.

In response, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the resolution was "anti-Israel," adding that "the UN condemns Israel for the Gaza conflict but fails to mention Hamas or its actions on October 7."