An Israeli soldier carries a shell in front of tanks deployed along the border with the Gaza Strip. (Credit: AFP's archives)
Since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing devastating war in Gaza, the United States has provided $21.7 billion in military aid to Israel, according to academic William D. Hartung, a researcher at the Quincy Institute — an organization accused by some pro-Israel voices of being isolationist and anti-Israel.
This figure covers the period from October 2023 to September 2025 and is primarily based on open-source information. The enormous sum does not include tens of billions in arms contracts that will need to be paid and delivered in the coming years, according to the report.
The analysis was published by the Watson School of International and Public Affairs at Brown University two years after the start of the war.
During the first year of the war, up to October 2024, $17.9 billion was disbursed under Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, and $3.8 billion was spent during the second year after Republican Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025.
Part of these expenditures involves weapons, bombs and military aid that have already been transferred, while the rest have been paid for but will be delivered in the future.
Financing for U.S. military equipment and services is the largest spending category, totaling over $8 billion in two years, with annual military aid to Israel reaching $3.8 billion.
Defense missiles are second at $5 billion, as Israel has experienced multiple waves of Iranian attacks and consistent firing from Yemen’s Houthis since the Gaza war began.
Weapons replenishment from U.S. stocks follows closely, with nearly $4.5 billion spent over the past two years.
US aid, essential reinforcement for Israeli army
The author points out that U.S. equipment is a vital part of the Israeli army's operations in Gaza, the West Bank, and elsewhere, as it heavily relies on American bombs and missiles, and all its combat aircraft are American: 75 F-15s, 196 F-16s and 39 F-35s.
"Given the scale of current and future spending, it is clear that the Israeli army could not have caused as much destruction in Gaza or escalated its military activities across the region without U.S. funding, weaponry and political support," writes Hartung, calling for a halt to new arms sales, the suspension of current orders and a stop to providing spare parts and maintenance for systems operated by Israel.
While Israel faces accusations of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, the United States could potentially be accused of being complicit.
The author notes that Israel has developed its own defense industry, but this effort is partly dependent on U.S. military aid, with 25 percent of it allocated for domestic production capacity. This arrangement is scheduled to end in 2028.
An additional report published by a U.S. university further shows that the United States has spent between $9.65 billion and $12.07 billion on military operations in Yemen and throughout the Middle East, including Iran, since Oct. 7, related to the fallout from the war or in support of Israel.
The overall military cost for the United States regarding the Gaza war so far is estimated to be between $31.35 billion and $33.77 billion, which includes military aid to its Israeli ally and its own operations in the region.
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
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