Exclusive: Toyota reviewing use of forklifts by Israeli military after MEE investigation

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Exclusive: Toyota reviewing use of forklifts by Israeli military after MEE investigation Submitted by Sebastian Shehadi on Wed, 11/11/2026 - 15:16 Manufacturer reviewing whether…

Toyota has said it is investigating the use of its forklifts by the Israeli military after Middle East Eye found photos and videos of the vehicles at weapons and munitions storage sites, serving supply lines for frontline units, and being used by the army’s Logistics Corps.

It comes after MEE uncovered details of a previously unreported 158m-shekel ($49.8m) contract between Toyota and Israel’s Ministry of Defense for the supply of forklifts that was signed in 2024 – the first full year of the Gaza war.

When asked about the contract, the company told MEE it had commitments in place with both the defence ministry and its official reseller in Israel to ensure that its technology and products were “for civil use only”.

But when MEE then shared footage posted on official Israeli military social media channels, which showed Toyota forklifts being used at locations including a missiles and ammunition depot in northern Israel, a Logistics Corps training base, and inside a munitions factory, it said it was investigating the images to determine whether those agreements had been breached.

Toyota is a Japanese corporation but its main forklift business, Toyota Material Handling, is headquartered in the United States.

"While it is impossible for any vehicle maker to track vehicles that may have been bought and resold by intermediaries, we are reviewing these photos and videos and are investigating whether our use agreements have been violated," a spokesperson for Toyota Material Handling told MEE.

"If necessary, we will take action to prevent unauthorized or inappropriate use of our forklifts."

"It is true that we cannot expect companies to track their vehicles after the initial sale,” said Noam Perry, strategic research coordinator at the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organisation in the US that researches companies supplying the Israeli military.

"However, this is a multi-million-dollar contract delivered directly to the Israeli Ministry of Defense at a time when it is…

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