Spanish government reverses deal to buy Israeli ammunition after coalition dispute

The Spanish authorities have decided to unilaterally terminate a contract for the purchase of ammunition from an Israeli defence company amid internal disagreements within the ruling coalition.

The decision to cancel the contract with IMI Systems, previously known as Israel Military Industries has been reached in agreement between the Spanish prime minister's office together with several other relevant ministries, Caliber.Az reports citing Spanish media.

Unnamed government sources told the publication that the cancellation was initiated despite the fact that the deal had already been published on April 24 in the State Official Gazette (BOE), which publishes legislation as well as legal notices and other official texts of the Spanish government.

Spain, a longstanding critic of Israel's policies in Gaza and the West Bank, pledged in October 2023 to halt arms sales to Israel due to its military campaign against Hamas. In 2024, the country expanded this stance to also ban the purchase of weapons from Israeli suppliers. However, on April 17 the Spanish government filed paperwork confirming the deal on the government tender’s website. The contract, worth €6.6 million, had been signed by the Ministry of the Interior in April with IMI Systems, which is owned by Elbit Systems.

The decision to cancel the deal came after strong criticism from the Sumar party, a member of the coalition government. The government stated that the import license for the ammunition will be denied “on grounds of public interest,” after which the Interior Ministry will formally annul the contract. Government bodies and the Council of State are currently reviewing potential legal consequences, including possible compensation claims by the Israeli company.

By Nazrin Sadigova