German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is scheduled to visit Israel in January 2026, Ynet reported on Monday.
Merz will be the first European leader to visit in months, amid a shaky yet stable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The Chancellor's last activity directly related to Israeli politics occured last week, when Merz spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During the meeting, the leaders discussed political and Middle Eastern issues, as stated by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The talk was described by the PMO as “good and friendly."
Israel and Germany's relationship has been strained over the course of the war, with Merz saying in June that “Israel is doing the dirty work for all of us” at the G7 Summit.
During the last week, the German government decided to lift an order suspending some weapons sales to Israel from this week, following the ceasefire agreement reached last month, a government spokesperson said.
"The government will, as a general rule, revert to case-by-case reviews in decisions on arms exports and respond to further developments," the spokesperson said.
The decision will allow the resumption of exports suspended in August, from Nov. 24, the spokesperson said.
Germany is the second-largest exporter of arms to Israel
Germany, the second-largest exporter of arms to Israel after the United States, previously announced a suspension of some arms exports to Israel in August, amid mounting popular pressure over the war in Gaza.
The decision affected weapons and systems that could be used in Gaza but not others deemed necessary for Israel to defend itself from external attacks.