The United States has spent a record amount of at least $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since the start of the war in Gaza, according to a report released by Brown University’s Costs of War project. This includes an additional $4.86 billion for increased military operations in the region since the October 2023 attacks by Hamas.
The report, completed before Israel’s recent conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, is one of the first estimates of the financial costs incurred by the U.S. as it supports Israel and seeks to contain hostilities by Iran-backed groups in the region. This is in addition to the human toll, with over 1,200 people killed by Hamas in Israel and nearly 42,000 killed in Gaza by Israel’s retaliatory offensive.
The financial costs were calculated by Linda J. Bilmes, a professor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, along with fellow researchers William D. Hartung and Stephen Semler. The report breaks down where the U.S. taxpayer money went, including record military aid to Israel.
Israel has been a major recipient of U.S. military aid since its founding in 1948, receiving a total of $251.2 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1959. However, the $17.9 billion spent since October 2023 is the largest amount of military aid sent to Israel in one year. This includes military financing, arms sales, and hand-me-downs of used equipment, with a large portion going towards replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems.
Overall, the U.S. has committed to providing billions in military assistance to Israel and Egypt each year since their 1979 peace treaty, with an agreement in place until 2028. The recent expenditures also include cash for rifles and other equipment.
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