US spends a record $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since last Oct. 7

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has spent a record of at least $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since the war in Gaza began and led to escalating conflict around the Middle East. That’s according to a report by Brown University’s Costs of War project released Monday on the anniversary of Hamas’ attacks on Israel. The report says an additional $4.86 billion has gone into stepped-up U.S. military operations in the region since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, including the costs of a Navy-led campaign to quell strikes on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Houthis. It’s one of the first tallies of these estimated U.S. costs. The research was completed before Israel opened a second front against Hezbollah in Lebanon.