Germany to lift partial weapons embargo on Israel

The German government announced on Monday that it was ending the partial suspension of weapons deliveries to Israel for use in Gaza.

"The government welcomes the ceasefire in Gaza that came into effect on October 10 and which has stabilized in recent weeks," spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said.

"The government is returning to examining on a case-by-case basis the export of weapons and will react to further developments," Kornelius added.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the partial suspension of weapon deliveries in August in light of the high number of civilians being killed by Israeli strikes.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been regularly violated, with hundreds of Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes since October 10.

The suspension of weapons exports to Israel, which had been criticized for not including all arms exports, will be lifted on November 24.

Why did Germany suspend arms sales to Israel?

The original suspension marked a major shift in Germany's stance on Israel, with Berlin traditionally being one of Israel's closest and most supportive allies.

Germany increased its arms exports to Israel following the October 7 Hamas attack, although it increasingly came under international pressure for its support of Israel as the number of civilian deaths in Gaza climbed.

Amid growing condemnation of Israel's aggressive approach in the Strip and just days ahead of a planned new ground offensive, Germany changed tack and said it was stopping the delivery of weapons for use in Gaza.

Not all deliveries were halted, and the following month, military equipment worth at least €2.46 million (roughly $2.85 million) was given government approval. However, this was significantly lower than the €250 million being approved for export between January 1 and August 8, 2025. 

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher