Israel seeking major military pact with US – FT

Washington’s weapons transfers under a long-term agreement drew scrutiny during the Gaza war

Israel is seeking a major military pact with the United States as the current multi-billion-dollar agreement between the two countries approaches expiration, Financial Times has reported.

The existing 10-year memorandum of understanding, signed in 2016 and effective from 2019, provides Israel with $38 billion in military assistance, including funding for missile defense systems.

West Jerusalem is looking to expand the agreement, prioritizing joint military and defense projects over the $3.3 billion in annual financial aid, former chief financial adviser to the Israeli army and Defense Ministry, Gil Pinchas, reportedly told FT. He said the talks are expected to take place in the coming weeks.

The US is Israel’s largest arms supplier, providing more than two-thirds of its weapons imports. Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, Washington has supplied at least $21.7 billion in military assistance, including a record $17.9 billion in the first year of the conflict, according to the Costs of War Project at Brown University.

The transfers have drawn scrutiny from human rights groups and activists, prompting protests across the US, including on college campuses and at public events. Some shipments were temporarily halted under former President Joe Biden, but deliveries resumed and were accelerated after Donald Trump took office in January 2025.

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Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped to “taper off” dependence on American military aid over the next decade and would not seek a full renewal of the 2016 agreement.

During the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 hostages were taken. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which the local health authorities say killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000.

Although Israel and Hamas agreed to a Trump-brokered ceasefire in October, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violations. Trump announced a ‘Board of Peace’ to oversee funding, security, and political coordination in Gaza during a transitional period, inviting more than 50 countries, including Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for the board’s mission and offered to contribute some of Russia’s sovereign funds frozen by the US.