An Indian company has ended a lengthy agreement to produce uniforms for the Israeli police, telling AFP on Friday that it had done so after reaching a “moral decision” in light of the conflict in Gaza.
Indian firm uniform sales to Israel: According to Maryan Apparel in the Indian state of Kerala, Israel’s police force has received about 100,000 uniforms year since 2015.
The company’s managing director Thomas Olickal told AFP that the choice was “moral.”
“In a statement issued on Wednesday, Olickal stated that he made the decision in response to an attack on a hospital and the “loss of thousands of innocent lives” during the conflict.”
The tragic attack on the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday has drawn accusations from both Israelis and Palestinians.
While there is utter disagreement regarding the death toll and who is to blame, world leaders have denounced the strike and protests have broken out across the Muslim world.
Israel allegedly targeted the hospital during its extensive bombing campaign, according to the Hamas-run Gazan health ministry, which has reported the death toll at 471, although this figure is subject to debate.
“The United States, whose intelligence community estimated between 100 and 300 people were kill, backs a version of events in which Israel’s military blames a misfired rocket on a different group, Islamic Jihad.”
“When Hamas surged into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, Israeli authorities estimated that at least 1,400 people were kill.” The majority of the victims were civilians who were shot, tortured, or burned to death on the first day of the operation. Israel claims that its forces killed over 1,500 Hamas fighters in battles before regaining control of the attacked region.”
“Recent Gaza Conflict and Business Relations with Israel”
“According to the most recent death toll from Hamas’ health ministry in Gaza, the Israeli military’s unrelenting bombardments in retribution for the attacks have resulted in the deaths of more than 3,785 Palestinians, primarily civilians, throughout Gaza.”
Olickal told AFP that although his company won’t be accepting any new orders, it will meet its current obligations to Israel, which expire in December.
Olickal, who operates a business employing about 1,500 people, stated, “We are willing to resume business with them after peace is restore.”
The Saudi government and the Philippine Army also received uniforms from the company.