US Military Aid to Israel Hits Record $22 Billion Since Gaza War, Brown Study Finds

Iron Dome test (Rafael PR pic)

According to Brown University’s Watson Institute, U.S. military support to Israel has exceeded $22 billion since October 2023, covering weapons, equipment, and naval deployments. As the largest recipient of U.S. military aid, Israel has special permission to spend these funds on its own defense industry – a privilege unique among aid recipients.

U.S. military support for Israel and related regional operations has reached at least $22.76 billion since October 2023, said the report. This includes $17.9 billion in direct security assistance to Israel – the largest annual military aid package in their 65-year partnership – plus supplemental funding and operational costs for U.S. forces in the region. The total cost is likely higher, as this figure excludes broader economic impacts and additional forms of support.

U.S.-backed Israeli military operations since Oct. 7, 2023 will lead to far higher indirect death than direct death rates.
U.S. spending on aid for Israeli military operations in Gaza and elsewhere between Oct. 7, 2023 – Oct. 7, 2024 is over $17.9 billion.
Spending on related U.S. operations in the region is over $4.86 billion
Over the course of the war in Afghanistan (2001-2021), 24% of U.S. women service members and 1.9% of men experienced sexual assault.
War contributes significantly to climate change: The U.S. Defense Department is one of the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters.
The “Military-Industrial Complex” is enmeshed with Silicon Valley. A growing portion of the Defense Department’s spending goes to large tech firms.

This Houthi-related conflict has also cost the maritime trade an additional $2.1 billion, because shippers have been forced to divert vessels or pay exorbitant insurance fees. U.S. consumers may experience paying higher prices for goods as a result.

This report touches on the relationship between U.S. weapons manufacturers and the Israeli government, which have maintained longstanding commercial relations. The U.S. government has cited these commercial ties as one of the reasons why the U.S. should continue to supply foreign militaries, including the Israeli military, with weapons and equipment.

The Costs of War project conducts and publishes research about the ongoing consequences of the United States post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere; the costs of global U.S. military operations; and the domestic effects of U.S. military spending. Created in 2010 and housed at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, the Costs of War project builds on the work of over 60 scholars, experts, human rights advocates, and physicians from around the world.

Part I of the report focuses on United States military aid to Israel. It is difficult to pinpoint an exact dollar figure for this aid, for reasons explained below. The U.S. government has approved at least $17.9 billion in security assistance since October 7, 2023, but this is only a partial amount of the financial support provided during and for this war.3 For instance, the Biden administration has made at least 100 arms deals with Israel since October 2023 that fell below the value that would have triggered the requirement to notify Congress of the details. The U.S. has been Israel’s main supplier of weapons for the past five decades; weapons deliveries since October 7 include 57,000 artillery shells; 36,000 rounds of cannon ammunition; 20,000 M4A1 rifles; 13,981 anti-tank missiles; and 8,700 Mk 82,500 pound bombs. On August 13, 2024, the Biden administration announced $20.3 billion in additional arms agreements with Israel to be carried out in future years (although this is currently being debated in Congress).