The US State Department announced that Congress had been informed of the impending sale of military equipment worth more than 20 billion US dollars (around 18 billion euros). This includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, tank ammunition and tactical military vehicles.
The fulfillment of such contracts by the arms industry is a process that takes years – for example, the delivery of tank ammunition is not scheduled to begin until 2027, and that of fighter aircraft until 2029. This is therefore about the long-term equipment of the Israeli military, not its equipment in the current conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The USA is Israel’s most important protecting power. However, relations between the two countries are strained due to Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip – and especially due to the high number of civilian war casualties and the humanitarian catastrophe in the conflict zone. For the US government under President Joe Biden, the handling of military aid to Israel is a domestic political balancing act. Critics are calling for more transparency about how US weapons are used by Israel and whether international humanitarian law is being observed.
