US funds $22 billion in military assistance to ‘israel’ since October while actual figures significantly higher
A recent report reveals that the United States has allocated over $22 billion in military aid to Israel and supported its regional military operations over the past year.
A report from Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs indicates that the United States has allocated $17.9 billion in military assistance to Israel since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza last October. When adjusted for inflation, this represents the highest level of military aid provided to Israel to date.
The amount exceeds the level of U.S. military assistance provided to the regime during the 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict.
According to the Middle East Eye, the current financial support is nearly four times the amount provided to Israel in the 1980s during its conflict with the Palestinian Liberation Organization in Lebanon, its 15-year occupation of the country, and the 2006 war with Hezbollah.
The report outlines that the assistance provided to Israel comprises military financing, arms sales, and the transfer of equipment from U.S. weapons reserves.
The recent report underscores a significant increase in the allocation of U.S. taxpayer funds to Israel, designated as military aid, over the past year.
The authors of the report have issued a warning regarding the incompleteness of the data, attributing this to the United States administration’s alleged attempts to obscure the total amounts of aid and the specific types of systems involved, through what they describe as bureaucratic strategies.
Officials have indicated that the $17.9 billion allocated for U.S. security assistance to Israel for the period from October 2023 to September 2024 represents only a portion of the total U.S. commitment to supporting the ongoing conflict. The full scope of American involvement and financial backing will become clearer with time, they noted.
The report highlighted that the United States has allocated an additional $4.86 billion towards supporting pro-Israel initiatives in the region, including operations in Yemen, since the onset of the conflict.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, Yemeni forces have conducted numerous operations to support the embattled people in Gaza, targeting locations within the occupied Palestinian territories. Additionally, they have targeted Israeli ships or vessels en route to ports in these territories.
The United States and the United Kingdom have launched military strikes targeting Yemen, following unwavering support from the Biden administration and its allies for the government in Tel Aviv. This response comes as pressure mounts on Yemeni forces, who have been warned of the repercussions stemming from their actions against Israeli-owned ships or commercial vessels en route to Israeli-controlled areas.
Despite significant opposition from several U.S. officials, lawmakers, and numerous human rights organizations criticizing the loss of civilian life in Gaza, as well as ongoing violence in the West Bank and Lebanon, the United States has maintained its steadfast support for Israel.
In a joint statement issued in July, former officials from the U.S. government, including ex-members of the State Department and military, expressed concern regarding the United States’ diplomatic backing and ongoing arms support to Israel, asserting that these actions have implicated the nation in the fatalities and enforced starvation affecting the Palestinian population in Gaza.
On October 7, 2023, Israel initiated military actions against Gaza following an unexpected offensive, termed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. This escalation was in retaliation to what Hamas describes as Israel’s prolonged campaign of violence and destruction in Palestinian territories.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 41,909 Palestinians, with a significant majority being women and children, according to recent reports. Additionally, 97,303 individuals have sustained injuries. Authorities have also reported that thousands remain missing and are feared to be trapped beneath debris.
Since October 2023, Israel has been conducting military operations in Lebanon, alongside its ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah has launched a series of retaliatory actions in response to recent acts of aggression.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, over 2,000 individuals have lost their lives in the past year due to Israeli military actions in Lebanon.
