Lufthansa resumes military deliveries to Israel

Lufthansa Cargo has resumed the transport of military and security-related shipments to and from Israel, the company confirmed to Declassified on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, the German air freight carrier announced that it had halted the shipments in and out of Tel Aviv, regardless of route, citing UK export control regulations and sanctions.

Specifically, the company told Declassified at the time that it was referring to the UK Export Control Order 2008 and that, accordingly, “shipments to Israel require a Standard Individual Export Licence for each shipment”.

The company also emphasised that it worked with UK-based underwriters for their insurance “which means coverage for flights to Israel can only be granted if the shipment complies with UK export control”.

The timing of the news was surprising because, weeks earlier, the German government had resumed licensing the export of weapons to Israel after it stopped issuing new licences for equipment that could be used in Gaza in August.

Still, the company’s news was met with elation from pro-Palestine and peace activists who interpreted it as a sign that their calls for a total arms embargo on Israel had been heard.

Meanwhile, a handful of British arms control experts who spoke with Declassified were left scratching their heads.

Nothing, as far as they knew, had changed with the applicable UK export controls and they knew of no other company that had taken such a decision.

Mystery

The UK’s Department for Business and Trade, which oversees export control, had little further clarity to shed.

Yes, they had suspended around 30 licences for arms export licences to Israel in September 2024.

But on Lufthansa Cargo’s decision, a spokesman would only say: “The UK operates one of the most robust and transparent licensing regimes in the world. Exporters who have concerns with their items should contact our export control team for further information.”

Insurance experts speculated that perhaps Lufthansa Cargo’s airline insurance policy was coming up for renewal on 1 January, leading to a reinterpretation of UK government regulations on arms shipments.

Major airline insurance companies, many of whom are based in London, declined to comment on the situation when Declassified approached them.

For its part, Lufthansa Cargo explained the resumption, saying on Wednesday that a specific process must now be followed “for a few shipments” due to the “UK Export Control Order and relevant sanctions”.

“A procedure is available to obtain the necessary permits in compliance with all applicable regulations and laws,” a company statement said.

Ruth Rohde, a researcher for Shadow World Investigations UK who had been trying to solve the week-long mystery, said she was disappointed by the resumption.

“In restarting shipments of military supplies to Israel, Lufthansa are choosing to continue supporting war crimes and genocide,” she said.

“The company had the opportunity to set a positive example in compliance. It chooses to endanger Palestinian lives instead.”