'Israeli' forces and their weapons (file image)
Germany authorizes nearly $1B in arms exports to ‘Israel’
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Naval equipment accounted for roughly two-thirds of the approved exports, including a Dolphin-class submarine.
- The surge has drawn renewed criticism of Berlin’s continued military support for ‘Israel’ amid the Gaza assault.
The German government approved nearly €800 million ($930 million) in military equipment export licenses to ‘Israel’ between January and June 2026, according to official data released Wednesday by the Economic Affairs Ministry.
The data, released in response to a parliamentary inquiry by the opposition Left Party and reported by Der Spiegel, show that the value of military exports approved in the first six months of 2026 was more than four times the total amount approved for all of 2025.
Fueling maritime warfare
The massive surge in German arms transfers is primarily driven by naval hardware, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the total approved value. This includes the delivery of the INS Drakon, a customized Dolphin-II class submarine built for the 'Israeli' Navy by German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in Kiel.
The submarine, capable of launching cruise and ballistic missiles retrofitted to carry nuclear warheads, recently departed Germany for the port of Haifa.
Beyond naval assets, Berlin approved licenses for small arms, ammunition, explosives, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Read more: Colombia resumes coal exports to ‘Israel’, reversing Petro ban
Domestic backlash
The arms transfers follow German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's decision to lift partial export restrictions in late November 2025, which had briefly suspended certain weapons after 'Israel' expanded its ground assaults.
The Left Party’s international relations spokesperson, Lea Reisner, denounced Merz’s administration for enforcing "boundless double standards".
“While Friedrich Merz was just supposedly outraged by Ben Gvir's inhumane statements, his government is pushing ahead with cooperation with a government and an army facing genocide charges before the International Criminal Court, supporting settler violence in the West Bank, and continuing to occupy southern Lebanon."
Despite widespread domestic protests and international legal scrutiny, Berlin remains one of Tel Aviv's largest military backers, having consistently quadrupled its defense transfers since the escalation of the assault on Gaza.
