The United States has provided Israel with nearly $18 billion in arms since the start of Tel Aviv’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip on 7 October last year.
According to a report published by Brown University, this extensive support has included a wide range of weapons, munitions and defence systems, sourced through US stockpiles, commercial sales and grants.
One of the largest allocations of arms sales was the $14.1 billion in emergency military support passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in April 2024. This package included $4 billion to replenish the Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defence systems, $1.2 billion for the development of the Iron Beam defence system and $3.5 billion for advanced weapons systems.
The US has also approved arms sales worth billions of dollars, ensuring future military cooperation. In August 2024, the Biden administration announced a $20.3 billion arms deal with Israel, which includes 50 Boeing F-15 fighter jets and thousands of rounds of ammunition. These weapons will be delivered between 2026 and 2029, ensuring Israel’s military remains strong in the years to come.
The report further noted that while there is substantial public information about some transfers, many smaller deals have been made without requiring Congressional notification, making it difficult to fully track the scale of US arms sales.
“There have been other press accounts of arms deliveries to Israel since October 7, including reports in November of 2023 that 36,000 rounds of 30mm cannon ammunition, 1,800 of 3,000 requested M141 bunker-buster munitions, at least 3,500 of 5,000 night- vision devices, some Hellfire missiles and other weapons had been delivered from the US and European Union,” it explained.
The report also highlighted that Israel is the only country in the Middle East with access to the US-made F-35 stealth fighter jets, a key part of Washington’s commitment to preserving Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME) in the region. This policy ensures that Israel’s military capabilities surpass those of neighbouring countries, even as other nations secure arms deals with the US.
“The U.S. is also committed to helping Israel maintain a “Qualitative Military Edge” (QME) over other nations in the Middle East.,” it states. “In service of that goal, for example, Israel is the only nation in the region that possesses and operates the newest U.S. combat aircraft, the F-35. In cases of a major deal to another state in the region, there is generally an offsetting deal that provides Israel with additional equipment designed to help it maintain the “edge”.”
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, in a post on X, thanked US officials for helping Israel maintain “its qualitative military edge in the region” and the US commitment to Israel’s security.
The ongoing war has devastated Gaza and resulted in a heavy civilian death toll, with over 42,000 Palestinians killed and 97,300 wounded.
Washington has faced mounting domestic and international criticism for its military, political and diplomatic support for Israel.
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