Washington. The United States has spent a record of at least $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict. This information comes from a report released Monday by Brown University’s Costs of War project, coinciding with the anniversary of the Gaza War.

In addition, the US has invested $4.86 billion in enhanced military operations in the region since October 7, 2023. This funding includes a Navy-led initiative aimed at countering strikes on commercial shipping by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have expressed support for Hamas.

The report, which was completed before Israel's intensified military actions against Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon in late September, provides one of the earliest estimates of US costs as the Biden administration supports Israel's military efforts in Gaza and Lebanon while attempting to mitigate hostilities from Iranian-affiliated groups.

The financial impact is significant, compounded by the human toll: Hamas militants killed over 1,200 individuals in Israel last year and took hostages, while Israel’s retaliatory operations have resulted in nearly 42,000 deaths in Gaza, as reported by the territory's Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. In Lebanon, at least 1,400 individuals, including Hezbollah fighters and civilians, have died since Israel ramped up its military campaign there.

The financial calculations were conducted by Linda J. Bilmes, a professor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, alongside researchers William D. Hartung and Stephen Semler, who have previously evaluated the comprehensive costs of US military actions since the September 11 attacks.

Breakdown of U.S. Military Spending

Israel, a key US ally since its establishment in 1948, has received $251.2 billion in military aid, adjusted for inflation, since 1959. The $17.9 billion allocated since October 7, 2023, represents the highest annual military support for Israel to date. Under a US-brokered peace treaty in 1979, the US committed to providing substantial military assistance to both Israel and Egypt, with annual aid to Israel set at $3.8 billion through 2028 under agreements made during the Obama administration.

The aid since the onset of the Gaza conflict includes military financing, arms sales, at least $4.4 billion in drawdowns from US stockpiles, and transfers of used military equipment. This year's shipments predominantly consisted of munitions, ranging from artillery shells to precision-guided bombs and 2,000-pound bunker busters.

The expenditures included around $4 billion to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome and David's Sling missile defense systems, along with funds for rifles and jet fuel. However, the exact details of military aid sent to Israel since October 7 remain unclear, with researchers indicating that the reported $17.9 billion figure is only a partial estimate. They attributed this lack of transparency to "efforts to hide the full amounts of aid and types of systems through bureaucratic maneuvering."

Support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict has sparked division among Americans, particularly during the presidential campaign. Nonetheless, US support for Israel has been a long-standing element of American politics, with President Biden asserting on Friday, "No administration has helped Israel more than I have."

US Military Operations in the Middle East

In response to the Gaza conflict, the Biden administration has increased its military presence in the Middle East, aiming to deter attacks on both Israeli and American forces. The additional military operations have incurred costs of at least $4.86 billion, excluding increased aid to Egypt and other regional allies.

On the day Hamas launched its attacks, approximately 34,000 U.S. forces were stationed in the Middle East. That number rose to around 50,000 in August when two aircraft carriers were deployed to the region, aimed at deterring retaliation following an Israeli strike that killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. The current troop level stands at around 43,000.

US military assets deployed in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden have varied over the past year, including aircraft carrier strike groups and fighter squadrons. The Pentagon has announced the imminent deployment of another aircraft carrier strike group to Europe, potentially raising troop numbers if two carriers are simultaneously in the region.