How US defence aid shaped Israel’s military developments since Oct 7, 2023

Published 28 July 2026 · us

Last week, the United States House of Representatives narrowly passed the Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, a sweeping defence spending bill that outlines military priorities

Last week, the United States House of Representatives narrowly passed the Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, a sweeping defence spending bill that outlines military priorities for the 2027 fiscal year, which begins later this year on October 1. The legislation includes $750m in funding for Israel-related military programmes, $65m more than the previous year, as debate continues in the US over Washington’s continued military support for Israel during its war in Gaza. However, the NDAA is not yet law. The bill now moves to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain. Earlier this month, Senate Democrats blocked the Senate version of the legislation. The measure must pass both chambers of Congress before it can reach the president’s desk for signature. The House bill drew sharply different reactions. Pro-Israel advocacy groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), welcomed the funding, while other organisations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, criticised continued US military assistance, arguing that it risks contributing to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. If the House version passes unchanged, $500m would go towards missile defence programmes, including systems such as Israel’s Iron Dome. US assistance to Israel has historically included both defensive systems designed to intercept incoming threats and military equipment that Israel has used during military operations. Iron Dome, which became fully operational in 2011, is designed to intercept short-range rockets.

A 2020 Congressional Research Service report said the system had intercepted close to 90 percent of rockets identified as threatening populated areas during periods of conflict. The remaining $250m in the NDAA would support other military capabilities. That includes $100m for counter-unmanned systems, which are technologies designed to detect and defend against drones. Another $100m would support subterranean operations, including technology used for mapping tunnels and underground facilities. The final $50m would support emerging defence technologies, including artificial intelligence-driven systems and autonomous capabilities. Previous government funding For the 2026 fiscal year, the US approved $500m in funding for Israeli military programmes. That included support for missile defence systems such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow, as well as funding for drone technology, emerging technologies, and anti-tunnelling cooperation. A 2025 analysis from Brown University’s Costs of War Project estimated that the US provided approximately $21bn in military assistance to Israel between October 2023 and September 2025. US military support for Israel has expanded over several decades. In 2016, the two countries signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding covering fiscal years 2019 through 2028. The agreement committed $33bn for the Foreign Military Financing programme and an additional $5bn for missile defence programmes. Private sector benefits Beyond direct government funding, a number of companies are involved in supplying or supporting military systems used by Israel. A tracker created by the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organisation, identified 57 companies with financial ties to Israel’s military supply chain or defence-related spending.