US Provided $21.7 Billion in Military Aid to Israel During Two Years of Gaza Conflict, Study Reveals

Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023.

Washington:

The United States has provided at least $21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel since the Gaza war began two years ago, according to a new academic study released Tuesday, coinciding with the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks that triggered the conflict. This spans both the Biden and Trump administrations.

A companion study, also published by the Costs of War project at Brown University's Watson School of International and Public Affairs, indicates the US has allocated approximately $10 billion more on security aid and operations throughout the broader Middle East during this two-year period.

Though predominantly based on open source information, these reports present one of the most comprehensive analyses of US military support to Israel and the estimated costs of direct American military engagement in the Middle East.

When contacted, the State Department did not immediately respond regarding the amount of military aid provided to Israel since October 2023. The White House redirected inquiries to the Pentagon, which manages only a portion of the total assistance package.

The reports, compiled using publicly available congressional notifications, were published as President Donald Trump advocates for concluding the Gaza conflict. Israeli and Hamas representatives have initiated indirect discussions in Egypt following Hamas's acceptance of certain elements of the US proposal that Israel also endorsed.

According to these critically-toned reports, Israel would have been unable to maintain its sustained campaign against Hamas in Gaza without American assistance. They highlight that tens of billions in future funding for Israel is projected under various bilateral agreements.

The primary report states that the US contributed $17.9 billion to Israel during the war's first year under Democratic President Joe Biden, followed by $3.8 billion in the second year. While some military aid has already been delivered, the remainder will be supplied over coming years.

This report was produced in collaboration with the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, an organization some pro-Israel groups have criticized as isolationist and anti-Israel—allegations the institute rejects.

A second report examining US expenditures on broader Middle East activities, including strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels and Iranian nuclear facilities, estimates these costs between $9.65 billion and $12 billion since October 7, 2023, with approximately $2 billion to $2.25 billion allocated for operations against Iran and associated costs in June.