On the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that set off the ongoing war in Gaza, a new report from Brown University's Costs of War Project has thrown the scale of United States military support for Israel into sharp relief. According to the study, released on October 7, 2025, the U.S. has provided at least $21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel since the conflict began—a figure that has sparked intense debate about Washington’s role in the war and its broader implications for peace and stability in the Middle East.
The report, which draws on open-source materials and publicly available congressional notifications, details the extent of American involvement. The U.S. supplied $8.12 billion in weapons and $5 billion in defense systems to Israel, with an additional $4.4 billion in weapons coming directly from American military reserves. The study underscores that Israel “could not have fought the Gaza war without US support,” a conclusion echoed by experts cited in the report and widely discussed by international analysts.
But the numbers don’t stop there. The report, produced in conjunction with the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, also points to tens of billions of dollars in projected future funding for Israel under various bilateral agreements. As Associated Press notes, the main report says the U.S. provided $17.9 billion to Israel during the war’s first year—when President Joe Biden was in office—and $3.8 billion in the second year. Some of this military assistance has already been delivered, while the remainder will be supplied in the coming years.
The White House has so far referred questions about these figures to the Pentagon, which oversees only a portion of the assistance. The State Department has not issued an immediate comment regarding the total amount of military aid provided to Israel since October 2023. The lack of official response has done little to quell growing scrutiny both within the United States and abroad.
Critics of the U.S. approach argue that such massive support has enabled Israel to sustain a prolonged and intense offensive in Gaza. The Brown University report is sharply critical of Israel’s conduct, stating that without U.S. assistance, “Israel would not have been able to sustain its concerted campaign against Hamas in Gaza.” The Quincy Institute, which collaborated on the report, has faced accusations from pro-Israel groups of being isolationist and anti-Israel, charges the organization denies.
Meanwhile, the human cost of the conflict has been devastating. According to Gaza authorities cited in the report, more than 67,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli bombings since the war began. The toll on medical personnel has been particularly severe: 1,701 medical workers have been killed and 362 arrested by Israeli forces. Hunger has also claimed 460 Palestinian lives, including 154 children, highlighting the deepening humanitarian crisis in the region.
Gaza’s healthcare system, already under immense strain, faces imminent collapse amid the ongoing violence. The report notes that 25 hospitals have been destroyed and over 100 health centers are no longer operating. Overcrowded hospitals are now treating more than two patients per bed, and medical resources are running dangerously low. “This situation paints a grim picture of the region’s suffering,” the Daily Times reported, emphasizing the urgency of the crisis.
In addition to the direct military aid to Israel, a second report from the Costs of War Project estimates that the U.S. has spent between $9.65 billion and $12 billion on security aid and operations in the broader Middle East over the past two years. This includes between $2 billion and $2.25 billion spent on attacks in Iran and associated costs in June 2025, as well as operations against Yemen’s Houthi rebels and other regional activities.
Despite the staggering sums and ongoing violence, there have been recent diplomatic developments. Israeli and Hamas officials launched indirect talks in Egypt during the week of October 7, 2025, after Hamas accepted some elements of a U.S.-proposed peace plan that Israel also said it supported. Yet, as Reuters points out, these efforts face significant hurdles, and the path to a sustainable ceasefire remains fraught with uncertainty.
The reports’ findings have injected new urgency into the international debate over U.S. military aid and its consequences. Many analysts and advocacy groups are now calling for a fundamental reassessment of America’s role in the region. “The Cost of War Project continues to track human and financial costs of US-involved conflicts,” the Brown University report states, adding that the latest findings “add urgency to the international push for conflict resolution.”
Supporters of U.S. military aid to Israel argue that such assistance is crucial for maintaining a balance of power in the Middle East and ensuring the security of a key American ally. They point to Israel’s strategic importance and the threats it faces from Hamas and other militant groups. However, critics contend that the scale of U.S. support has enabled a level of military aggression that has resulted in unacceptable civilian casualties and humanitarian suffering.
The debate has also spilled over into American domestic politics. The Biden administration, which oversaw the bulk of the aid delivered during the war’s first year, has faced pressure from both sides of the aisle. Some lawmakers demand continued support for Israel, while others call for stricter oversight, conditions on aid, or even a rethinking of the U.S.-Israel relationship altogether.
Internationally, the revelations have fueled calls for greater transparency and accountability. Human rights organizations and several United Nations agencies have urged the U.S. to reconsider the nature and extent of its military assistance, especially in light of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The destruction of hospitals and health centers, the deaths of medical workers, and the widespread hunger are seen as clear signs that the conflict’s costs extend far beyond the battlefield.
As the war in Gaza grinds on, the Brown University report and its sobering statistics have become a focal point for those seeking to understand—and ultimately resolve—the conflict. The findings serve as a stark reminder of the profound impact that foreign military aid can have, not just on the outcome of a war, but on the lives of countless civilians caught in its crossfire.
With the humanitarian crisis deepening and diplomatic efforts at a crossroads, the world’s attention remains fixed on Gaza. The question now facing policymakers in Washington and beyond is whether continued military support will bring peace closer, or push it further out of reach.
