Germany will lift its partial embargo on weapons exports to Israel as of November 24, the German government said, citing the Gaza cease-fire being maintained.
The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, in effect since October 10, is a key reason for lifting the ban, government spokesperson Steffen Kornelius said, adding that the cease-fire has “stabilized in recent weeks.” He also cited efforts to achieve a lasting peace and increased humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
The German government is set to “generally return to examining each case individually and respond to further developments” when it comes to arms exports, he said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the decision, saying, “I call on other governments to adopt similar decisions.”
I welcome Chancellor Merz’s move to revoke the decision regarding the partial “embargo”.
I call on other governments to adopt similar decisions, following Germany
In early August, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a suspension of arms exports to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip “until further notice,” marking a major shift in German foreign policy. The move came hours after the Israeli government decided to expand the military offensive in the enclave amid a growing humanitarian crisis and widespread hunger caused by limitations on aid.
At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in response to the restrictions that, “Instead of supporting Israel’s just war against Hamas, which carried out the most horrific attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel.”
In May, the German chancellor, a conservative, said that Israel’s level of attacks in Gaza can no longer be justified by the fight against Hamas.
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Smoke billows east of Gaza City during an Israeli bombardment last July. Credit: AFP/BASHAR TALEB
Smoke billows east of Gaza City during an Israeli bombardment last July. Credit: AFP/BASHAR TALEBRelated Articles
“Germany has a clear position: no expulsions of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip, an end to hunger. And the Gaza Strip, as well as the West Bank, belong to the Palestinians, on the path to a two-state solution,” Merz said.
In October, it was reported that Germany had approved arms exports to Israel worth at least 2.46 million euros ($2.9 million) since implementing the partial export halt, according to a response from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs to a parliamentary inquiry by Die Linke (The Left) party. The shipments involved “other military goods” and did not include weapons of war, according to the ministry.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Germany supplies about 33 percent of Israel’s arms imports, while the United States provides 60 percent.
In response to a parliamentary query in May, the German government disclosed that it had exported nearly half a billion euros’ worth of weapons to Israel since October 7, 2023. These shipments included firearms, ammunition, weapon components, specialized naval equipment, electronic systems, and specially armored vehicles.
Germany reportedly shipped $350 million worth of weapons to Israel in 2023, marking a significant increase from the year prior. In 2024, Israel received $150 million worth of German weapons shipments.