No weapons shipments approved to Israel following Merz’s export restrictions

Germany did not approve any new arms shipments to Israel in the five weeks following Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s imposition of partial export restrictions, the Economy Ministry confirmed on September 25.

Merz’s decision, announced on August 8, blocks the export of military goods that could be used in the Gaza war. The policy was a response to the actions of Israeli forces in Gaza, although some opposition lawmakers are calling for a full ban on arms sales.

The ministry’s response to Left Party lawmaker Ulrich Thoden noted that no approvals were granted between August 8 and September 12, according to reports in German media.

State Secretary Thomas Steffen said export decisions are made “on a case-by-case basis and in light of the respective situation after careful review, taking foreign and security policy considerations as well as legal requirements into account.” He added that Germany “reaffirms the principles of its Israel policy and remains particularly committed to the protection of the State of Israel.”

Before the restrictions, Germany had gradually increased criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over its treatment of Palestinians but had refrained from sanctions. Netanyahu condemned the new policy as “rewarding Hamas.”

Thoden’s office stated that the government should implement an outright ban on all weapons to avoid being “guilty of complicity in the Israeli military's crimes under international law against the Palestinian civilian population.”

Until early August, Germany had significantly expanded its arms sales to Israel, licensing nearly €500 million in equipment, mostly naval assets such as ships, submarines, and torpedoes, following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. Merz’s government initially cleared nearly €4 million in arms sales during its first five weeks in office.

Deliveries to Israel have included firearms, ammunition, weapon parts, special army and navy equipment, electronic systems, armoured vehicles, and Sa’ar corvettes — small warships with advanced radar and cannons reportedly used in Gaza during the conflict.

By Tamilla Hasanova