Germany plans to lift restrictions on military equipment exports to Israel, effective November 24, following a ban imposed in August. The restriction was introduced after the Israeli Cabinet assumed control of Gaza City. The decision to lift the ban was announced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Sebastian Hille, who cited the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the basis for the change. The government stated that the ceasefire had led to a fundamental stabilization in the region, enabling a review of export policies.
The lifting of restrictions will not result in automatic approval of exports. Germany will assess each military equipment export to Israel on a case-by-case basis, in line with its standard export review procedures. The government did not confirm whether Israel had submitted requests for equipment during the period of the ban, nor whether any exports had been delayed.
The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Saar, welcomed the decision in a post on social network X. He called on other governments to follow Germany’s example in lifting similar restrictions. The German government emphasized that continued adherence to the ceasefire, the provision of humanitarian aid, and the orderly operation of agreed processes would be essential for maintaining the new export policy.