Germany has announced it will halt the approval of any arms exports that could be used by Israel in its ongoing military operations in Gaza.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the decision public on Friday, August 8, saying the suspension will remain in place until further notice.
“The German government will not approve any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice,” Merz said during a press briefing.
While reaffirming that Israel has the “right to defend itself” against Hamas, Merz stressed that the disarmament of Hamas remains a critical goal.
However, he expressed growing doubts over the Israeli government’s current approach.
“In the view of the German government, the even tougher military action taken by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, which was decided last night by the Israeli cabinet, makes it increasingly difficult to see how these goals are to be achieved,” he explained.
Germany has been a significant supplier of weapons to Israel in recent years.
Between 2020 and 2024, it ranked as the country’s second-largest arms provider, accounting for 33% of Israel’s total arms imports, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The announcement comes amid rising global concern over the escalating violence in Gaza.
Humanitarian groups have warned of worsening civilian casualties, while diplomatic tensions are growing across Europe and the Middle East.
Berlin’s move signals a major shift in its Middle East policy, given its historically close security ties with Israel.
Analysts say the decision could also influence other European countries to reassess their military cooperation with Tel Aviv if the conflict intensifies further.
With the war showing no signs of slowing, Germany’s suspension of arms exports adds another layer of diplomatic pressure on Israel to reconsider the scale and nature of its Gaza offensive.
