Spain, Belgium, Italy and Canada still restrict arms trade with Israel, while Germany and Slovenia have lifted their limits. Eight countries compared by measure, date and status as of October 30, 2026.
As of October 30, 2026, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom still restrict arms trade with Israel in some form, according to the latest reports Olam reviewed, while Germany and Slovenia have lifted their restrictions. Spain's embargo is the broadest, covering exports, imports and transit under a law approved in October 2025. The UK's licence suspensions are reported at more than 80 licences suspended or refused, a total campaigners dispute.
Last updated: October 31, 2026
Which countries restrict arms trade with Israel?
Six countries have kept some form of restriction since the Gaza war began, and the measures differ widely in scope. The table lists each by measure, date and status in the latest reports reviewed.
| Country | Measure | Date | Status in latest reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Total embargo on arms exports, imports and military transit, set in law | Announced September 8, 2025; Congress voted 178 to 169 on October 8, 2025 | In force |
| Belgium | Wallonia export licences suspended and transit banned; federal ban on overflight and technical stops by aircraft carrying military material | February and May 2024; federal decree of January 18, 2026 | In force |
| Italy | New arms export licences suspended; pre-war contracts honored | 2024; defense cooperation agreement renewal suspended April 14, 2026 | In force |
| Canada | New arms export permits suspended; permits approved before January 8, 2024 not affected | Early 2024 | In force in latest reports |
| Netherlands | F-35 parts to Israel halted; the government kept the halt after an October 2025 Supreme Court ruling | February 2024 court order; cabinet extension November 14, 2025; reconfirmed June 2026, per PAX | In force, with another review due about six months after June 2026 |
| United Kingdom | Export licences suspended or refused, with a "double lock" on exports announced in September 2026; F-35 parts exports ruled lawful by the High Court in June 2025 | September 2024; September 2026 | In force; the number of affected licences is disputed |
Dates and details come from the sources listed below, and several are secondary. Governments change these measures often, so check official notices before relying on a single entry. For the UK and Dutch measures in depth, see Olam's reports on the UK "double lock" and the Netherlands F-35 parts ban.
Which countries have lifted their restrictions?
Germany and Slovenia have both lifted restrictions they announced in 2025. Germany's chancellor said in August 2025 that no military exports usable in Gaza would be approved, and Berlin announced in November that it would lift that order on November 24, 2025, contingent on the Gaza ceasefire holding, according to the Times of Israel. Slovenia announced a total ban on arms import, export and transit on July 30, 2025, and its new government reversed the embargo in June 2026, according to a report cited by Wikipedia.
What does Spain's embargo cover?
Spain's embargo bans the export and import of defense material, products and technology, and the transit of military equipment, to and from Israel. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced it on September 8, 2025, and Spain's Congress of Deputies ratified it on October 8, 2025. The Times of Israel reported that Spain canceled a contract worth nearly 700 million euros for Israeli-designed rocket launchers soon after, and that a December 30 exception showed the law was being actively enforced.
The reach of the ban has been tested. Globes reported on October 15, 2026, as relayed by The Cradle, that a Spanish manufacturer is supplying Latvia with vehicles fitted with Israeli-made turrets. Olam covers the embargo in Spain's Israel Arms Embargo: Canceled Deals and Loopholes.
How much of Israel's arms supply comes from Europe?
Most of Israel's arms imports come from the United States, which Wikipedia puts at about 69% of purchases, and Germany is second. Germany provided 30% of Israel's major arms imports in 2019 to 2023, according to figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute cited by the Times of Israel. Italy supplied about 1%. Because the largest suppliers are the US and Germany, the countries still restricting trade account for a small share of the total, which is a main reason analysts view national measures as limited in their direct effect.
What do the restrictions mean for Israeli defense business?
Europe is a major Israeli defense export market, and the restrictions have not stopped record sales overall. Israel's Defense Ministry reported record export deals of $19.2 billion in 2025, with Europe taking 36% of the total; the figures are in Olam's Israeli economy reference. Shay Gal, a former Israel Aerospace Industries executive, wrote in the Times of Israel that Israel signed those record contracts, and he noted that France restricted Israeli participation at the Eurosatory 2026 exhibition, an Israeli Ministry of Defense decision dated June 2, 2026, and that Italy suspended the automatic renewal of its defense cooperation agreement. The commentary is an opinion piece by an industry figure, so treat the framing as his view. See Olam's coverage of the Israeli defense industry, the global expansion of Elbit, IAI and Rafael and the IAI LORA missile deal with Morocco.
What should readers watch next?
Five open questions will shape the picture over the coming months.
- Whether the Gaza ceasefire holds, since Germany tied its decision to it.
- Whether the Netherlands extends its F-35 parts halt at the next review, due about six months after June 2026.
- How the UK's "double lock" is applied in practice, and whether the dispute over the number of suspended licences is resolved.
- How strictly Spain enforces its law on third-country sales that include Israeli components.
- Whether other governments follow Slovenia in reversing measures, or Belgium in widening them.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries have an arms embargo on Israel?
Spain has the broadest, a law-based ban on exports, imports and transit. Belgium, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have narrower restrictions in place, based on the latest reports Olam reviewed.
Did Germany lift its arms restriction on Israel?
Yes. Germany lifted its partial suspension effective November 24, 2025, on the condition that the Gaza ceasefire holds.
Is Slovenia's ban on arms trade with Israel still in force?
No. Slovenia's new government reversed the embargo in June 2026.
Is the Dutch F-35 parts ban still in force?
Yes, as of the latest reporting. The Dutch cabinet kept it after the October 2025 Supreme Court ruling, and PAX says the foreign minister confirmed it again in June 2026.
Who supplies most of Israel's arms?
The United States, at about 69% of purchases, followed by Germany at about 30% of major arms imports in 2019 to 2023.
Sources
- Arms embargoes on Israel since 2023, reference page
- Times of Israel on Germany's decision
- Times of Israel on Spain's restrictions
- Demócrata on Slovenia's reversal
- JINSA table of European measures
- SIPRI backgrounder on arms exporters
- Newsweek map of countries that stopped exports
- Shay Gal in the Times of Israel on Europe and defense exports
- PAX on the Dutch F-35 case
Related Olam Coverage
- Israeli Defense Industry
- UK Arms Exports to Israel: The 2026 "Double Lock" Explained
- Netherlands F-35 Parts Ban on Israel: Still On in 2026
- Spain's Israel Arms Embargo: Canceled Deals and Loopholes
- Israeli Defense Companies' Global Expansion
- IAI Nears LORA Missile Deal With Morocco
- The Israeli Economy
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
