US allocates $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel amid Middle East conflict in one year

The United States has allocated a record $17.9 billion in military assistance to Israel since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East began on October 7, 2023.

This announcement coincides with the anniversary of the attack by the Palestinian militant group HAMAS on Israel, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Since 1959, Israel has received a total of $251.2 billion from the US, making it the largest recipient of American military aid in history. The recent funding of $17.9 billion marks the highest amount of military assistance provided to Israel in a single year.

The aid package includes military financing, weapons sales, and the transfer of used equipment. A significant portion of the US arms supplied over the year consists of a wide range of ammunitions, from artillery shells to bunker-busting bombs. Additionally, $4.86 billion has been allocated to expand US military operations in the region, including efforts to protect commercial shipping from attacks by Houthi forces from the Yemeni rebel movement “Ansar Allah”.

To recap, when Hamas breached Israeli barricades around Gaza to launch their attack, there were 34,000 US troops stationed in the Middle East. That number increased to approximately 50,000 in August when two aircraft carriers were deployed in the region to deter potential retaliation following an Israeli strike that reportedly killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. Currently, the troop count is around 43,000.

On September 23, Israel launched "Northern Shield," a military operation targeting the military assets of the Lebanese Shiite group “Hezbollah”. This operation has involved extensive airstrikes against Hezbollah facilities. On October 1, the Israeli army announced the commencement of a ground operation in the border areas of southern Lebanon.  

By Khagan Isayev