Germany: Germany approved nearly £800 million ($930 million) worth of military equipment exports to Israel in the first half of this year amid its ongoing activities in the Gaza Strip, local media reported Wednesday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Economy and Energy Ministry disclosed the figure in its response to a parliamentary inquiry by the opposition Left Party, as reported by the German news magazine Der Spiegel. The export licenses issued between January and June exceeded four times the total value approved for Israel throughout 2025.
The increase in arms exports followed Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government decision to lift partial restrictions on arms exports to Israel on November 24, 2025. Merz had previously suspended exports of weapons that could be used in Gaza on August 8 after Israel expanded its military operations in the enclave. The restrictions were in place for about three and a half months.
Large-scale defense projects were primarily responsible for the significant rise in approvals. Of the £735.8 million in export permits approved during the second quarter, approximately 67% was linked to a naval project. The report highlighted the INS Drakon, an air-independent propulsion submarine built by German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), which recently departed a shipyard in Kiel for Israel.
Additionally, 21% of the licenses were related to joint projects involving German and Israeli companies, deemed to serve the strategic interests of the German armed forces, or Bundeswehr. The remaining approvals covered military equipment, including small arms, ammunition, explosives, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The ongoing situation in Gaza has resulted in significant casualties, with at least 73,470 Palestinians killed and 174,540 others injured since October 2023, according to the enclave's Health Ministry. Most victims have been women and children, and approximately 90% of Gaza's civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.
Lea Reisner, the Left Party's spokesperson for international affairs, accused the German government of applying 'unlimited double standards.' She criticized Berlin for condemning statements targeting Gaza's civilian population by Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir while continuing to expand military support for the country. The Left Party renewed its call for an immediate and comprehensive halt to German arms exports to Israel.
Germany approved £327 million in arms and military equipment exports to Israel in 2023, £161.1 million in 2024, and £260 million in 2025. Its arms sales to Israel increased tenfold in 2023 from the previous year. Berlin has long been one of Israel's strongest supporters, with German leaders frequently defending that support as a historical responsibility arising from Germany's Nazi past and the Holocaust.