Israel purchases $11B worth of US weapons since start of Gaza war

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel has purchased $11 billion worth of US weapons since the start of its war on the Gaza Strip last Oct. 7, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The announcement coincided with the appointment of Aviram Hasson as the new head of Israel's mission to the US, succeeding Mishel Ben Baruch, who held the position for five years.

“Since Oct. 7, the Mission has achieved an unprecedented $11 billion in defense acquisitions,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, the purchases include a third F-35 squadron, tank and armored vehicle engines, and combat vehicles.

The Mission also “transported thousands of tons of equipment to Israel via hundreds of flights and dozens of sea shipments, marking the highest procurement volume ever in such a timeframe,” the statement said.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas.

At least 39,445 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 91,000 injured, according to local health authorities.

Nearly ten months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul