Berlin lawyers seek court block on German ship’s 150 tons of explosives bound for Israel

Human rights lawyers have filed an urgent appeal with Berlin’s Administrative Court seeking to block a 150-ton shipment of military-grade explosives aboard the German cargo ship MV Kathrin, bound for Israel.

The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) says the action was filed on behalf of three Palestinians from Gaza, arguing that the shipment of primarily RDX explosives could be used in munitions for Israel’s military operations in Gaza, potentially contributing to alleged war crimes, which Israel strenuously denies.

According to the ELSC, the RDX is intended for Israeli Military Industries, a division of Elbit Systems ESLT.TA, Israel’s largest defense contractor. Elbit Systems was not immediately available for comment.

The MV Kathrin, owned by Germany-based Lubeca-Marine, had been denied entry at several African and Mediterranean ports, including in Angola, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Malta, the ELSC says, adding that Portuguese authorities recently required the ship to switch to a German flag before it could continue.