Israel will receive more than US$5 billion in additional military aid from the United States, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced this Thursday (26).
The funds will mainly go towards improving Israel’s air defense system, amid escalating crossfire with the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon and with the country regularly being attacked with projectiles fired by Iranian-backed groups based in Iraq and Yemen. .
Specifically, the new aid will strengthen the Iron Dome and David Slingshot systems, which allow Israel to intercept short- and long-range missiles, as well as enable it to launch a new “laser defense system” that is in the final stages of development, from according to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Defense.
The $5 billion is in addition to the more than $3 billion in military assistance that Israel receives annually as part of a ten-year agreement with the US that came into force in 2019.
In total, Israel will receive around $8.7 billion in military aid from the US, the Ministry of Defense detailed, which did not specify whether the additional $5 billion will be delivered this year.
The additional amount has already received approval from the US Congress as part of a US$95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, ratified in April by US President Joe Biden, which includes around US$14 billion in military assistance. for Israel.
Washington has increased shipments of smaller munitions to encourage Israel’s use of more accurate missiles and even suspended shipments of one-ton bombs in May over fears they would be used in the Israeli offensive against the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. .
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