Berlin, Germany, government lifts partial ban on military exports to Israel

The German government has lifted restrictions on military exports to Israel that it had imposed in August, according to reports on the decision. Government spokesman Sebastian Hill said the restrictions would be lifted as of 24 November 2025, a date that Euronews reported as the day the lifting took effect. One Spanish-language report named the spokesman as Sebastian Hille, and another, citing the government, named Stefan Kornelius as the spokesman who made the remarks on the caveat described below.

The restrictions were introduced in August. Euronews reported that Chancellor Friedrich Merz ordered on August 8 that no licences be granted for military material that could be used in the Gaza war. Semanario Universidad described the partial embargo as a response to the expansion of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. Al Jazeera reported that the government had suspended certain arms exports to Israel, and Arabic Euronews spelled the chancellor’s name as Mertz.

Hill linked the decision to the ceasefire. Al Jazeera reported that he said the current ceasefire was the basis for the decision and that he expected all parties to abide by the agreements, including maintaining the ceasefire. Semanario Universidad reported that Hill said a ceasefire in Gaza had been in place since October 10 and had generally stabilized.

Reports differ on what the lifting means in practice. Semanario Universidad and Arabic Euronews reported that arms exports to Israel would again be possible under the usual case-by-case examination procedures, with Arabic Euronews quoting Hill saying every export request would be treated as an individual decision based on case assessments. Spanish Euronews reported that Kornelius said in Berlin on Monday that lifting the restrictions did not mean all Israeli applications would be automatically approved. Euronews also reported that German propulsion systems for Israeli Merkava tanks could soon be re-exported to the region.

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saer, welcomed the move on X, according to Al Jazeera. He called on other governments to adopt similar resolutions.