Israel’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that it signed a $5.2 billion contract with Boeing to purchase 25 F-15 fighter jets using US military aid amid global calls for an arms embargo on Israel over the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.
The contract is part of an arms sale the Biden administration approved for Israel back in August that’s worth $18.8 billion. The deal gives Israel the option for another 25 F-15 fighter jets and includes upgrades for its existing fleet of F-15s and other related equipment.
Under the contract for the first batch of 25 jets, Israel will start taking deliveries of Boeing’s new F-15IA in 2031, and it’s expected to receive four to six of the aircraft annually.
Earlier this year, Israel signed a $3 billion contract to acquire 25 Lockheed Martin-made F-35 jets, which was also financed by US military aid.
Brown University’s Costs of War project said in a report last month that US support for Israel over the past year had cost US taxpayers at least $22.76. The total includes $17.9 billion in direct military aid and $4.8 billion in spending on US military operations in support of Israel, including the bombing campaign against the Houthis in Yemen.
The new contract for the F-15 fighter jets brings total US spending on Israel since October 7, 2023, to about $27.96 billion.
The Biden administration continues to provide weapons to Israel despite foreign assistance laws that prohibit military aid to countries that purposely block humanitarian aid. The administration has also received around 500 reports of US weapons being used by Israel to kill civilians unnecessarily, but no action has been taken.
