Australian Department of Defence directive on arms exports to Israel a win for public pressure

11 November 2025

Amnesty International Australia acknowledges the Government's recent communication to Australian arms manufacturers prohibiting the direct export of weapons to Israel as a significant and necessary step in preventing Australia's complicity in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

The Department of Defence is reported to have written to Australian arms manufacturers on 3 November, outlining new restrictions on exports to Israel, following written advice from Defence Export Controls (DEC), the Commonwealth regulator of defence goods. The advice imposes a new condition imposed under the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1956, prohibiting licence holders from exporting goods to Israel.

The Department of Defence's directive represents a clear response to growing public and international pressure on the Government to uphold its obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), requiring that Australian-made arms and components are not supplied to Israel, which continues to commit grave violations of international law against Palestinians in Gaza.

"The Government's reported direction to defence manufacturers to halt direct exports to Israel is a welcome and necessary step but is just the beginning."

In 2024, Amnesty International concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This was affirmed by the UN Commission of Inquiry in its 2025 report, which found reasonable grounds to conclude that Israeli forces and authorities have committed four acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention.

Amnesty International Australia continues to urge the Government to implement a comprehensive, two-way arms embargo and to conduct an urgent review of all defence exports to Israel. The Government must provide full transparency regarding Australian-based defence manufacturers, whose exports may still reach Israel through transhipment via third countries and international supply chain arrangements.

Mohamed Duar, Amnesty International Australia's Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson, says:

"The Government's reported direction to defence manufacturers to halt direct exports to Israel is a welcome and necessary step but is just the beginning. It demonstrates awareness of Australia's international legal obligations in relation to human rights and international humanitarian law.

"However, this action must be followed by full transparency over all arms exports and components that continue to arm Israel, directly or indirectly. Without this, Australia risks ongoing complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza.

"Amnesty International Australia calls on the Government to immediately halt any involvement in these crimes by ending our arms trade with Israel, and to ensuring that Australian-made weapons and components are never used in the commission of genocide."

"More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, yet accountability remains absent. Amnesty International Australia calls on the Government to immediately halt any involvement in these crimes by ending our arms trade with Israel, and to ensuring that Australian-made weapons and components are never used in the commission of genocide."

Background

Under Article 6 of the ATT, to which Australia is a State Party, governments are prohibited from authorising arms transfers that would violate international law - including where the exporting state knows that the weapons could be used in genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes. Supplying weapons or components that facilitate such acts may give rise to legal liability for both States and corporations.

Australia plays a key role in the global supply chain of F-35 fighter jet components, aircraft that have been repeatedly used by Israeli forces in airstrikes on designated safe zones in Gaza, killing tens of thousands of civilians. As one of only a handful of countries manufacturing F-35 parts, Australia's continued involvement raises serious concerns about potential complicity in war crimes, genocide, and other grave violations of international law.

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