Germany Approves Surge in Arms Exports to Israel, Exceeding Previous 20 Months
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the German government has confirmed that it approved approximately €800 million (USD 913 million) in arms export licenses to Israel during the first five months of 2026, a volume exceeding the total for the previous 20 months. Data released by the Mehr News Agency, citing Al Jazeera, indicates that nearly all these licenses were issued in April and May, according to the Federal Foreign Office’s response to a parliamentary inquiry by the Alternative for Germany party.
These approvals signal a substantial increase in arms shipments to Israel from a key European ally, even as the German government professes concern over the destruction wrought by the Israeli military in Gaza. The German government stated that over 60 percent of the value of these arms licenses was allocated to an unnamed “major naval project.” Analysts suggest this likely refers to a submarine being built by the German company TKMS.
The INS Drakon, a nuclear-capable Dolphin II-class submarine, completed its maiden voyage last year at a shipyard in Kiel on the Baltic Sea. Its estimated value is €480 million (USD 548 million). German media reports indicate that this submarine was officially handed over to the Israeli Navy just last week. Last year, reports regarding the export license for this submarine were contradictory, with the order dating back to 2012. While the company confirmed it, the German government denied it at the time. This ambiguity may have stemmed from legal concerns surrounding proceedings against Germany at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, as well as shifting public opinion in Germany, which largely opposes arms exports to Israel.
According to media reports, Germany is financing approximately 30 percent of the construction costs for the Drakon submarine and roughly one-third of the costs for future Dakar-class submarines. Ruth Bloch, from the British research organization ‘Shadow World Investigations,’ told Al Jazeera, “Israel has used German ships to strike Gaza, to blockade and starve Gaza, and uses submarines to deploy nuclear weapons. At a time when Israel is waging brutal wars against its neighbors and committing genocide in Gaza, these submarine exports provide Israel with another tool in its arsenal of mass destruction.”
In early August, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed that Germany had not issued any further licenses for military equipment that could be used by Israel in the Gaza Strip. At that time, Al Jazeera’s investigation revealed that Germany had exported approximately $12 million in arms shipments to Israel since October 2023, when Israel began its genocidal war against Gaza. This brief suspension was temporary. In November, the government lifted the restrictions, returning to a case-by-case review of export applications. Even during the suspension, previously approved deliveries continued. For example, in September, a $794,000 arms shipment from Germany landed at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
Germany is one of the world’s largest arms exporters. According to the Ministry of Economy’s arms export report published in mid-July, permits for armaments worth €13.87 billion (USD 15.8 billion) were granted in the first six months of 2026. This figure is more than four times the amount for the same period in 2025. Ukraine remains the primary recipient of German arms exports.
