Germany Halts Military Exports to Israel for Use in Gaza, Sparking Backlash From Israeli Leaders, Jewish Communities

Germany announced it was halting exports of arms and other military equipment to Israel for use in Gaza, shortly after the Israeli security cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to expand operations in northern Gaza.

“The federal government will, until further notice, withhold approval for the export of any military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a statement on Friday.

Merz argued that Israel’s decision to escalate its military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas “makes it increasingly difficult” for Berlin to pursue its “highest priorities” of securing the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Israel has every right to defend itself against Hamas terrorism,” the German leader said. “Disarming Hamas is essential — there can be no place for Hamas in Gaza’s future.”

However, Merz warned that Israel’s new offensive “bears an even greater responsibility for ensuring the population’s needs are met.” He also expressed “deep concern about the continuing suffering of the civilian population in Gaza.”

Israel hat das Recht, sich gegen den Terror der Hamas zu verteidigen. Die Freilassung der Geiseln und Verhandlungen über einen Waffenstillstand haben für uns oberste Priorität. Die Entwaffnung der Hamas ist unerlässlich – die Hamas darf zukünftig in Gaza keine Rolle spielen. 1/5

— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) August 8, 2025

On Friday, the Israeli security cabinet overwhelmingly approved Netanyahu’s plan to defeat Hamas, which includes taking control of Gaza City.

In a press release, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will prepare to “take control of Gaza City, while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones.”

Shortly after the announcement, Merz also called on Israel to take “comprehensive and sustainable measures” to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, while urging the country to avoid any steps toward annexing the West Bank.

According to a report by Politico, Germany’s decision to freeze arms exports that could potentially be used in Gaza would not apply to defense systems like missile defense or naval equipment and may only affect new contracts, leaving deliveries from previous agreements unaffected.

Netanyahu vehemently condemned Germany’s decision, stressing that Israel’s objective is not to occupy Gaza but to free it from Hamas and pave the way for a peaceful and stable Arab government.

“Instead of supporting Israel’s just war against Hamas, which carried out the most horrific attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

The local Jewish community in Germany has also sharply criticized the government’s decision to halt military equipment shipments to Israel.

“The German government’s decision represents a victory for Hamas in the global propaganda war,” Volker Beck, [resident of the German-Israeli Society (DIG), said in a statement.

“Hamas still retains military capabilities,” he continued. “How does the German government plan to disarm Hamas without resorting to force?”

Remko Leemhuis, director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in Berlin, also condemned the government’s decision.

“Rather than withholding essential materials from Israel, the German government should employ all available economic and political tools to intensify pressure on Hamas and its main supporters, including Iran,” he said.

Iran has long provided arms, funding, and training to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades after Israel withdrew from the enclave in 2005.