German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday that Germany would soon increase arms shipments to Israel, after a significant drop in deliveries this year prompted opposition accusations that Berlin had deliberately delayed exports, Reuters reported.

“We have not made a decision not to supply weapons. We have been supplying weapons and will continue to do so,” Scholz told parliament at an event commemorating the victims of an Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian group Hamas, responding to accusations by opposition leader Friedrich Merz.

The German chancellor said the government had taken decisions “that also guarantee that further deliveries will begin shortly.”

Merz, who is the leader of Germany's conservative opposition, accused the government of delaying arms exports to Israel, including ammunition and tank spare parts.

The number of German approvals for arms exports to Israel has fallen sharply this year, with only 14.5 million euros worth of permits issued between January and Aug. 21, according to figures provided by the Economy Ministry in response to a parliamentary inquiry.