The United States has provided at least US$21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel since the start of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza two years ago, according to a new study released Tuesday.

The report, produced by the Costs of War project at Brown University’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs, offers one of the most detailed examinations of American funding for Israel amid the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

A companion study from the project found that the U.S. has spent an additional US$10 billion on military operations and security assistance in the broader Middle East over the same period, including strikes on Iranian targets and Houthi forces in Yemen.

US Backing Enables Israel’s Genocidal Campaign

The reports underscore the direct role U.S. support has played in enabling Israel to sustain its relentless assault on Gaza. According to the study, US$17.9 billion was funneled to Israel in the first year of the war under Democratic President Joe Biden, followed by US$3.8 billion in the second year. Some of the aid has already been delivered, while the remainder is projected for the coming years under existing bilateral agreements.

Without this massive influx of funding, the reports assert, Israel would not have been able to maintain its campaign of siege, bombardment, and mass killing against Palestinian civilians. Tens of billions more are projected to flow to Israel in future years, ensuring the continuation of its occupation and violent repression.

The study, produced in collaboration with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, highlights that U.S. complicity in the Gaza genocide is not accidental but systemic, as Washington has routinely provided military hardware, operational support, and diplomatic cover to Israel while Palestinian families face death, starvation, and displacement.

The Broader Middle East Cost

Beyond Israel, U.S. military spending in the region has surged, with estimates between US$9.65 billion and US$12 billion since October 2023. This includes US$2–2.25 billion for strikes in Iran in June 2025 and other operations across the Middle East. Critics argue that these expenditures illustrate how U.S. foreign policy prioritizes regional domination and support for oppressive regimes over human life and international law.

Trump Pushes Talks While Aid Continues

The reports arrive as U.S. President Donald Trump urges an end to the Gaza conflict, with Israel and Hamas engaged in indirect negotiations in Egypt. However, the massive U.S. military aid ensures that Israel maintains its advantage over the besieged Palestinian population, reinforcing the structural imbalance and prolonging the humanitarian crisis.

A Stark Reminder of Responsibility

Human rights organizations warn that U.S. funding of Israel equates to complicity in war crimes. Tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed or injured since the start of Israel’s campaign in October 2023, while hospitals, schools, and homes have been systematically destroyed.

The new studies provide irrefutable evidence that the United States is not a neutral actor in Gaza but an active enabler of Israel’s genocidal policies, ensuring that Palestinian resistance and survival continue under unprecedented duress.

“The flow of U.S. military aid to Israel is not merely financial—it is moral support for the genocide unfolding in Gaza,” said one analyst. “As the world watches, Washington’s billions fuel the machinery of occupation and death.”

The findings raise urgent questions about accountability, international law, and the responsibility of the United States in safeguarding Palestinian lives rather than facilitating their destruction. (ILKHA)