US sends record military aid to Israel since Oct. 7, 2023
Israeli soldiers take position near the Israeli Gaza border, southern Israel, on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Oren Ziv)
The United States provided Israel with $17.9 billion in military aid since the outbreak of its conflict with Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, according to a report from Brown University’s Costs of War project.
The report, released on the anniversary of Israel’s war on Gaza, details extensive U.S. financial support for Israel’s defense systems and broader military operations in the Middle East.
Breakdown of military aid
According to the report, $4 billion of the total was allocated to replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems. These funds were also directed toward the purchase of weapons and jet fuel to support Israel’s ongoing operations.
The U.S. military has also received an additional $4.86 billion for its own operations in the Middle East, as part of a broader response to regional instability triggered by the conflict in Gaza.
This includes funding to counter Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which the Yemen-based group has claimed to be in solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Research and cost assessment
The report’s calculations were made by Linda J. Bilmes, a professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, alongside researchers William D. Hartung and Stephen Semler.
The project assesses the financial burden of U.S. military engagements since the Sept. 11 attacks.
The report highlights how the conflict has spurred unprecedented military support for Israel and increased U.S. military involvement in the Middle East.
