John AdoyiOn 7th October 2024, the Israel-Hamas conflict marked a grim first anniversary since Hamas militants launched a raid in northern Israel, killing over 1,000 Israelis and taking approximately 250 people hostage. The attack, which plunged the Middle East into further turmoil, has since led to significant international involvement, most notably from the United States, Israel’s top ally.
According to a report by Brown University’s “Costs of War” project, the U.S. has spent at least $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel in the last one year. The financial analysis, led by Harvard professor Linda J. Bilmes alongside researchers William D. Hartung and Stephen Semler, was released on October 7, the anniversary of the attack. This aid includes military financing, arms sales, at least $4.4 billion drawn from U.S. stockpiles, and used equipment and munitions, such as artillery shells, precision-guided bombs, and bunker-busters.
The US military operations in the region, which have increased since the October 2023 attack, have also cost an additional $4.86 billion. This includes a Navy-led campaign targeting Yemen’s Houthis, who have been conducting strikes in solidarity with Hamas. According to the report, the U.S. government has made deliberate efforts to obscure the full extent of its military aid to Israel, including bureaucratic maneuvers that prevent a complete disclosure of the systems and arms shipped.
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While U.S. military support for Israel is considerable, it remains dwarfed by the approximately $106 billion in aid the US has provided to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022. The aid to Ukraine has primarily been aimed at bolstering the country’s defense through weapon systems, training, and intelligence support.
However, Israel still boasts of getting the most military aid from the US which amounts to $250 million since the 20th century.
The ongoing Gaza conflict is now the deadliest and longest-running war between Israelis and Arabs since 1949. Over 1,500 Israelis have lost their lives, while more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes, which began with an intense bombardment in the days following the Hamas raid. The humanitarian toll and regional instability have only worsened, with Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanging fire along the Lebanese border.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have failed, and the situation remains volatile as the war threatens to spread across the Middle East.
