Israel halts the planned exportation of hundreds of Merkava battle tanks to foreign armies, including those in Europe, due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the need to enhance the readiness of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for potential conflict in Lebanon.
The tanks, which have been replaced over the past two decades by more advanced models, were in the final stages of negotiation for a historic sale. The decision to halt the export was made by Major General Eyal Zamir, Director-General of the Defense Ministry, following intense negotiations between SIBAT, the ministry’s International Defense Cooperation directorate, and procurement representatives from foreign armies.
This suspension coincides with the development and deployment of a new tank, the “Barak,” based on the Merkava. This model is already in use by several IDF battalions.
Armored forces have played a key role in recent ground operations, responding to the war in Ukraine and more intensively since the onset of the conflict in Gaza. The IDF has rapidly responded by forming an armored battalion of reservists and reactivating previously disbanded units.
Additionally, the IDF has ramped up the production of new armored vehicles. In just one and a half months, about 85 new vehicles, including tanks, Eitan APCs, and Namers, have been produced. This marks a significant increase from the IDF’s normal production rate of approximately 100 armored vehicles per year.