The United States has provided a historically high USD 17.9 billion in military aid to Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict on October 7, 2023, according to a report from ‘Brown University’s Costs of War project‘, released on the first anniversary of the conflict.
According to the Associated Press (AP), an additional USD 4.86 billion has gone into stepped-up US military operations, including the cost of a navy-led campaign against Yemen’s Houthis, marking the highest annual military assistance ever provided to Israel.
The analysis was conducted by Linda J. Balmes, a professor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, who asserted that while the USD 17.9 billion figure is significant, it may not fully capture the total US support for Israel due to a lack of transparency regarding military shipments.
According to The Washington Post reports, the administration of US President Joe Biden quietly approved and delivered more than 100 sales of weapons to Israel in March 2024.
Israel has been the largest beneficiary of US military assistance, which up to 2015 was around USD 2512 billion since 1959 when adjusted for inflation.
The Biden administration has vowed to stand with Israel, despite growing criticism regarding the humanitarian impact of its military actions in Gaza, where civilian casualties have surged by millions.
Over 3,000 Palestinians have been displaced, more than double the 1,252 displaced in the preceding ten months, marking the highest annual figure since 2009.
The US government’s support for Israel remains a contentious issue, other side pretends to ally with growing international calls for a cease-fire and humanitarian consideration in Gaza.
