The US has sold $11bn worth of weapons to Israel since October 7
The war on the Gaza Strip started on October 7, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared on Wednesday that it had purchased weapons worth 11 billion dollars from America, the ministry said this in a statement released during the appointment of Aviram Hasson as the new head of its mission in the United States.
She remembered that Hassoun took the job as a replacement for Reserve Brigadier General Michel Ben Baruch, who served for five years. Since the start of the war, the mission of the Israeli Defense Ministry has bought $11 billion of American weapons, the ministry stated. These weapons, she said, are “a squadron of F-35 aircraft, tank engines, armored vehicles, and combat vehicles”.
She added: “It also moved thousands of tons of military equipment to Israel in hundreds of flights as well as dozens of sea shipments.” She emphasized that the quantity of US arms sales since October 7 is the highest ever compared to any such period.
This arms deal’s timing and scale come amidst heightened tensions and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. That region has been at the core of much volatility over the past several years, with recurrent flare-ups between Israel and sundry Palestinian factions along with regional actors such as Iran.
For the U.S., advanced weaponry for Israel serves its strategic interests in the Middle East. The U.S. sees in Israel a huge friend—with whom to operate within a region filled with instability and changing allegiances. Keeping Israel well-armed is, therefore, supposed to bolster the stability of the area against any aggression from antagonistic countries or other non-state actors.
On another front, this vast arms deal does not come without controversy. On the other hand, critics argue that such transfers in big numbers could light a fuse under the situation in the region. Some voices have been raised over the fear that the buildup of arms on one side will escalate conflicts and make the quest for peace ever more elusive.
According to the proponents of this arms deal, it is a prerequisite for maintaining balance and deterrence in the region. Due to the threats flying in the face of Israel from some adversarial entities, such unique systems would be necessary to protect the lives of its citizens and its sovereignty.
Since October 7, 2014, Israel, with the USA’s help, has been conducting a war against the Gaza Strip and Palestinians, where more than 100,000 Palestinians were killed and injured, the majority were women and children, and more than 1000 Palestinians were declared missing, the infrastructure was demolished, the famine has claimed dozens of children.
Tel Aviv advances the war in defiance of the Security Council’s instructions to cease the war as soon as possible and orders of the International Court of Justice to take measures to prevent genocide acts and to address the pathetic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
