German government denies it suspended permits for arms exports to Israel

The German government has denied claims that it has suspended permits for arms exports to Israel — despite reports circulating that exports from Germany have stalled.

"There is no ban on arms exports to Israel, and there will be no ban," a spokesperson for the Economic Ministry told news agency dpa.

The spokesman added that the government decides on arms exports on a case-by-case, taking into consideration humanitarian law and the current situation between Israel and Hamas.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Germany had stalled new weapons exports to Israel as a result of legal challenges, quoting a source close to the Economy Ministry.

Various other reports have emerged claiming the German government has shifted its position on supplying Israel with arms. Since March, no more permits have been issued for arms exports, with numbers dwindling in the months prior, effectively putting all sales on hold, the domestic press reported.

Export volumes have fallen sharply since the previous year — from €326 million to €14.5 million as of August this year.

Germany's Federal Security Council — which meets in secret and is chaired by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz — typically approves arms exports, including those to Israel.

At the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October last year, Germany granted Israel arms exports totalling a value of €326 million.

However, as reported by Israeli investigative outlet Shomrim, the support was not repeated at the beginning of 2024.

Scholz has previously been cautious about confirming whether Germany will continue to supply arms to Israel.

At the end of July, he commented that Germany had not made a decision on whether to supply Israel with weapons in light of a ruling by the International Court of Justice, which concluded that Israel had violated international law through its operations on Palestinian territories.

Each application for arms exports would be assessed individually, Scholz said during his summer press conference in Berlin.