BERLIN (AP) — The German government said Monday that it’s lifting its restrictions on exports of military equipment to Israel, weeks after the ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in early August that Berlin wouldn’t authorize any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza “until further notice.” That was a response to a decision by the Israeli Cabinet to take over Gaza City.
Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told German news agency dpa that the restrictions will be lifted from Nov. 24. He pointed to the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that went into effect last month and said that it has “stabilized in recent weeks,” and also to efforts to ramp up humanitarian aid in Gaza and secure a long-term peace.
German will now return to examining military exports on a case-by-base basis and “react to further developments,” he added.
Merz’s decision in August was a remarkable move by a country that is a staunch ally of Israel. The Israeli foreign minister welcomed its lifting Monday in a post on social network X.
“I call on other governments to adopt similar decisions, following Germany,” Gideon Saar wrote.
