From Oct. 7, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024 the U.S. spent $22.76 billion to support the military operations by Israel according to a report from Brown University. The report, “United States Spending on Israel’s Military Operations and Related U.S. Operations in the Region, October 7, 2023-September 30, 2024,” stresses that the figures are conservative and do not include many additional economic costs such as the increased cost of global shipping caused by the partial blockade of the Red Sea by the Houthi rebels.
According to the report, $17.9 billion of this aid is directed to Israel as “security assistance,” and another $4.86 billion is for increased U.S. military presence in the region. The report details that the $17.9 billion of military aid is by far the largest military aid package ever given to Israel and before the fighting in Gaza the U.S. gave an average of $3.3 billion in military aid per year. The total U.S. aid to Israel, both military and non-military, is now $300 billion since 1946.
The military hardware delivered to Israel over the last year includes 57,000 artillery shells, 36,000 cannon rounds, 20,000 A1 rifles, 14,000 anti-tank missiles (even though Israel’s enemies, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis have no tanks), 14,100 of the 2,000-lb. bombs, 3,000 Hellfire missiles, 2,600 small diameter bombs, 1,800 bunker buster bombs, and 8,700 of 500-lb. bombs. Aid also includes $4 billion to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome defense systems, and $1.2 billion for the Iron Beam air defense system which is still being developed. The U.S. is also spending $4.4 billion to replenish U.S. supplies which have been emptied by the arms shipments sent to Israel.
