Germany has stopped approving war weapons exports to Israel, source says

Germany has put a hold on new exports of weapons of war to Israel while it deals with legal challenges, according to a Reuters analysis of data and a source close to the Economy Ministry.

Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth 326.5 million euros ($363.5 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase from 2022, according to data from the Economy Ministry, which approves export licenses.

However, approvals have dropped this year, with only 14.5 million euros’ worth granted from January to August 21, according to data provided by the Economy Ministry in response to a parliamentary question.

Of this, the “weapons of war” category accounted for only 32,449 euros.

A source close to the ministry cites a senior government official as saying it had stopped work on approving export licenses for arms to Israel, pending a resolution of legal cases arguing that such exports from Germany breached humanitarian law.

The ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

In its defense of two cases, one before the International Court of Justice and one in Berlin brought by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), the government said no weapons of war have been exported under any license issued since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, apart from spares for long-term contracts, the source adds.