On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a major onslaught on Israel killing over 1,200 people, leading to Israel’s fresh onslaught on Gaza. Israel expanded the war targeting Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia group, after it opened a “support front” in Israel’s north. . Israel is thus fighting war on two sides. Tensions escalated in the region after Iran fired at Israel as “retaliation” for killing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July.
The U.S. has increased its military presence in the West Asia by several thousand troops, sending an array of fighter jets and other aircraft to bolster the protection of its assets and allies in the region. The American military assets deployed in the region have helped Israel defend against attacks from multiple fronts.
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Over the past year, the U.S. has maintained a heightened military presence in the Middle East, with approximately 43,000 troops deployed in the region. This force includes at least a dozen warships and multiple squadrons of advanced aircraft, such as F-15E, F-16, F-22 fighter jets, and A-10 attack aircraft. The presence is aimed at protecting U.S. allies, including Israel, and serving as a deterrent to potential threats and attacks in the region.
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They are primarily tasked with defeating threats from Iran and its network of armed affiliates in the region, including Hamas (Gaza Strip), Hezbollah (Lebanon), the Houthis (Yemen), and several Iraq- and Syria-based militant groups.
Navy forces in the Red Sea have engaged Houthi rebels who were attacking Israeli ships in support of Hamas. In the Eastern Mediterranean, U.S. guided missile destroyers intercepted around a dozen Iranian missiles, according to a press release from Tuesday (October 1, 2024). Meanwhile, in Syria and Iraq, U.S. forces have targeted Iran-backed militia groups.
In addition to these actions, the Department of Defense is implementing further measures, such as extending the deployment of Navy assets beyond their scheduled rotation, enhancing air defense capabilities, and using incoming U.S. forces to bolster the existing military presence rather than replacing them.
U.S. aid to Israel
Besides direct assistance from U.S. military forces, aid packages have helped fortify Israeli defence, with the most recent package amounting to 8.7 billion dollars. That package would contribute towards strengthening Israel’s key defence system against missiles - the Iron Dome. Overall, Israel has received the most U.S. aid between 1946 and 2024 (as of September 26, 2024) at around 499 billion dollars.
Israel is also the leading recipient of security assistance under the Foreign Military Financing Program, as per a Department of State press release. Funds from FMF are tied to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the U.S. and Israel for every 10 years since 1999. The current MoU is for 2019 to 2028, through which the U.S. provides 33 billion dollars to Israel annually. These annual FMF grants represent around 16% of the overall Israeli defence budget, according to Congressional Research Service.
Another 500 million dollars is provided as part of cooperative programs for missile defence, or anti-missile systems like Arrow II, Arrow III, David’s Sling and Iron Dome. Besides this, the U.S. has also provided Israel funds for anti-tunnel and anti-drone measures. Israel’s Army has said that it has uncovered vast, sophisticated tunnels under Gaza and Israel that stretch across borders, used by the Hamas to infiltrate Israel.
(With agency inputs)
Published - October 08, 2024 09:49 am IST
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