A new study has revealed that the United States has provided at least $21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel since the Gaza war began two years ago. The findings were published Tuesday by the Costs of War project at Brown University’s Watson Institute, coinciding with the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks that ignited the ongoing conflict.
According to the research, both the Biden and Trump administrations contributed to the massive sum, which reflects one of the most extensive support packages ever documented for a U.S. ally during an active conflict.
A second report, also from the Costs of War project, estimated that Washington spent an additional $10 billion on military operations and security efforts across the Middle East over the same period — including strikes in Yemen and Iran.
While much of the data came from publicly available congressional reports and defense records, the studies together offer one of the most detailed breakdowns of American military involvement in the region since the start of the Gaza war.
Neither the State Department nor the White House commented on the exact figures. The Pentagon, which oversees a portion of U.S. military assistance to Israel, has also not released updated numbers.
The timing of the reports is significant. They come as President Donald Trump pushes for an end to the Gaza conflict, while indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas continue in Cairo, with both sides reportedly accepting parts of a U.S.-backed ceasefire framework.
The main report — written in partnership with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft — argues that U.S. military support has been crucial to Israel’s sustained campaign in Gaza. The authors assert that “without U.S. assistance, Israel would not have been able to maintain the intensity of its operations against Hamas.”
According to the report, $17.9 billion in aid was allocated during the first year of the war, under President Joe Biden, followed by another $3.8 billion in the second year. Some of this assistance has already been delivered, while the rest is expected to arrive under ongoing bilateral defense agreements.
The Quincy Institute, a Washington-based think tank, has previously faced criticism from pro-Israel advocacy groups, which accuse it of promoting isolationist or anti-Israel views — claims the organization denies.
The second report estimated that U.S. military actions elsewhere in the region — including strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Iranian nuclear sites — have cost between $9.65 billion and $12 billion since October 2023. That figure includes roughly $2 billion to $2.25 billion tied to operations in Iran in June alone.
Together, the studies highlight the enormous financial and strategic commitment the U.S. continues to make in the Middle East — even as public debate grows over Washington’s role in Israel’s ongoing war and its broader regional implications.