Israel ordered billions more in military equipment from US than aid agreement covers - report

NOVEMBER 5, 2026 08:52Israel has ordered billions of dollars worth of military equipment from the United States beyond the amounts Washington has committed to providing under its military aid agreement, according to a report published Thursday by The Wall Street Journal.According to the report, Israel will need approximately $10 billion in additional funding to pay for existing orders after 2028, when the current US military aid agreement is set to expire. The figure highlights the challenges surrounding US President Donald Trump's plan to end military assistance to Israel.The amount was detailed in a US State Department document submitted to Congress and obtained by the newspaper. It covers outstanding orders as of April 1, although it remains unclear whether the total has changed since then.The United States has already committed to providing Israel with nearly $7 billion in military assistance over the next two years. However, even after those funds are disbursed, some existing orders will remain unfunded.The report follows Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he intends to end US aid to Israel. The Jerusalem Post reported at the time that his remarks appeared to have caught Israeli officials, including members of the defense establishment, by surprise, despite months of discussions between senior officials in both countries about gradually reducing American assistance.US President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media on the day the final steel beam goes into the ballroom, at the White House in Washington, DC, US, November 4, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Evan Vucci)Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously proposed phasing out direct US military aid within a decade.Israel is one of the world's largest recipients of American military assistance. Under the current aid agreement, signed during the Obama administration and set to remain in effect until 2028, Israel receives approximately $3.3 billion annually to purchase US-made military equipment, including bombs, vehicles, fighter jets, and other weapons systems.The agreement allows Israel to place orders using funds that Washington has pledged to provide in future years, even before the money is actually transferred.In 2024, Congress also approved an additional aid package worth approximately $26 billion amid the war in Gaza following Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack.However, according to a letter sent by the State Department to the office of Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas, Israel will still need approximately $10 billion to cover existing orders after exhausting the funds already promised.The letter explained that the outstanding amount could be financed through additional US military assistance, Israel's own budget, or a combination of both."Even if the aid agreement continues through its expiration in 2028, there will still be $10 billion beyond that, and the question is who will pay for it," Castro told the newspaper.The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.US may shift aid to Israel toward joint development of military technologiesAccording to Congressional Research Service figures, the United States provided Israel with approximately $174 billion in cumulative military assistance between the country's founding in 1948 and May 2025, without adjusting for inflation.Alongside discussions about ending direct military aid, US lawmakers are advancing legislation that would shift the emphasis from military grants toward defense investments and the joint development and production of military technologies.The proposal is expected to be incorporated into the annual US defense policy bill, which is scheduled to be finalized by the end of the year.Supporters argue that the legislation would make it easier for the Pentagon to cooperate with Israel on military procurement and technological development, building on previous successes such as the Iron Dome air defense system, which was developed in cooperation with American companies.Critics, however, warn that the proposal would further integrate Israel into the Pentagon's supply chains and defense programs, making it more difficult for a future Congress to scale back military cooperation.Even a transition to a joint production model would not immediately address Israel's military needs.Israel remains dependent on a steady supply of American weapons, including the thousands of bombs Washington has provided during the wars of recent years. Future commitments also include Israel's planned purchase of a squadron of 25 advanced F-35 fighter jets.Ending US military assistance could force Israel to increase its defense budget further. Despite receiving American aid, Israel already spends approximately 7% of its gross domestic product on defense, a higher proportion than any NATO member state.US political divisions complicate future military assistance to IsraelThe debate over the future of American aid comes amid declining support for Israel in both major US political parties, following years of fighting in Gaza and Lebanon and this year's joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.The issue also featured prominently in Tuesday's congressional midterm elections, in which Republicans suffered significant losses.Vice President JD Vance wrote on X/Twitter on Wednesday that the war with Iran and relations with Israel were among the main reasons voters had turned away from the Republican Party.Trump himself argued that ending direct aid to Israel could deprive Democratic critics of a major campaign issue.He specifically referred to Abdul El-Sayed, who was elected in Michigan and will become the first Muslim to serve in the US Senate. During his campaign, El-Sayed called for an end to unconditional American aid to Israel.Beyond the budgetary challenges, ending military assistance would also have to account for longstanding US commitments.American law requires the administration to preserve Israel's qualitative military edge over potential adversaries, and reducing aid could make it more difficult to fulfill that obligation.Despite Trump's statements, current and former US officials believe an immediate termination of military assistance is unlikely."It's inconceivable that we would stop by the end of the year," Josh Paul, a former senior State Department official who resigned during the Biden administration in protest of US support for the war in Gaza, told the newspaper.Paul said existing budgetary commitments already approved by Congress would prevent such a move in the immediate future."We still haven't seen anything that substantiates that possibility," Paul added, despite personally supporting an end to US military assistance to Israel.Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.Follow us on Google