Germany will not authorize any export of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip “until further notice,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday.
Merz’s decision comes in response to Israel’s plan to expand the war in Palestinian territory.
The public announcement, which highlighted the suffering of people in Gaza, marks a significant shift in Berlin’s policy toward its long-standing ally.
“The German government will not approve any export of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice,” Merz stated in a communiqué.
Merz acknowledged that Israel has the right to disarm Hamas — a group designated as terrorist by the US and EU — and to seek the release of Israeli hostages, but he said Israel’s decision “makes it increasingly difficult to understand how these goals can be achieved.”
Germany’s consistent and long-term support for Israel, rooted in the sense of guilt over the Holocaust, has been called into question by the growing number of casualties in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis, which has prompted the German public to demand action from their government.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Germany provided 30% of Israel’s major arms imports between 2019 and 2023, mostly naval equipment, including Sa’ar 6-class frigates (MEKO A-100 Light Frigates), which have been used in the Gaza war.
Merz said that the release of hostages and negotiations for a ceasefire are Germany’s top priorities, along with easing the suffering of civilians. He also urged the Israeli government not to take further steps toward annexing parts of the West Bank, according to RFE/RL.
Members of the far-right wing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition have been pushing for full control of Gaza, though the military has warned this could endanger the lives of surviving hostages.
The German parliament reported in June that export licenses for €485 million worth of military equipment for Israel were approved on the day of the Hamas attack that sparked the Gaza war — October 7, 2023 — and again on May 13, 2025.
Following the Hamas attack, Germany increased its arms exports to Israel roughly tenfold in 2023.
Human rights groups have launched legal challenges, arguing that the weapons could be used in the Gaza conflict.
