In a move that’s already stirring debate on Capitol Hill and beyond, the Trump administration has formally sought congressional approval to sell nearly $6 billion in advanced weaponry and support equipment to Israel. The proposed arms package, which includes 30 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and thousands of infantry vehicles, underscores Washington’s enduring military partnership with Tel Aviv—even as international criticism of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza continues to mount.
According to multiple sources cited by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by agencies including Associated Press, the request was delivered to both Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This is a standard step before the administration can notify the broader Congress and the American public about such a significant foreign arms transfer.
The details of the package are eye-catching. The lion’s share—$3.8 billion—would pay for 30 AH-64 Apache helicopters, which would nearly double Israel’s current fleet of these formidable attack aircraft. Another $1.9 billion is earmarked for 3,200 to 3,250 infantry assault vehicles, depending on the source, designed to bolster the Israeli army’s ground capabilities. An additional $750 million is allocated for support parts for armored personnel carriers and necessary power supplies, bringing the total request to just under $6.4 billion, as reported by Just News BD.
What’s more, the funding for this massive purchase would come directly from U.S. military aid to Israel—money provided by American taxpayers as part of Washington’s longstanding security assistance program. The equipment, if approved, would be delivered over the next two to three years, with officials noting that the weapons wouldn’t arrive before 2027 at the earliest.
This latest request comes on the heels of an already staggering year for U.S.-Israel military cooperation. As Los Angeles Times noted, the Trump administration has signed off on roughly $12 billion in military assistance for Israel in 2025 alone. Just this past June, a half-billion-dollar sale of bomb guidance kits was approved to replenish Israel’s precision munitions stockpile. The new request, sent to Congress about a month ago, is part of a 10-year security agreement between the two countries that is now nearing its end.
But the timing of the sale has not gone unnoticed. The announcement landed just days before world leaders were set to convene in New York for the United Nations General Assembly—a gathering expected to focus heavily on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel’s military, meanwhile, has continued its offensive in Gaza City, expanding operations and bombarding Hamas infrastructure. Displaced Palestinians, according to Just News BD, have reported having “no means to flee” the violence, fueling concerns among international observers about the escalating civilian toll.
In the U.S., the proposed arms deal is already facing pushback from lawmakers, especially among Democrats. On Thursday, September 18, a group of U.S. senators introduced the first Senate resolution urging official recognition of a Palestinian state—a move that signals growing impatience with the status quo. More than half of Senate Democrats have recently voted against further arms sales to Israel, reflecting a shift in attitudes within the party. According to reporting by Associated Press, “the Republican president’s full-throated support for Israel’s military contrasts with growing wariness about Israel’s assault on Gaza among Democrats.”
Internationally, the picture is just as complicated. The United Kingdom, citing concerns about potential violations of international humanitarian law, suspended certain weapons exports to Israel last year and recently barred Israeli officials from attending its largest arms fair. Turkey has closed its airspace to Israeli government planes and any cargo destined for the Israeli military. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in a recent speech, condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza as “disproportionate.”
Meanwhile, President Trump has indicated plans to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington next week, with a full agenda that reportedly includes discussions on Boeing aircraft and a deal for F-16 fighter jets. The White House, for its part, has declined to comment on the specifics of the new arms sale, as noted by Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal.
The U.S. approach to arms sales to Israel has shifted with changing administrations. The Biden administration, for example, paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs earlier this year over concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza. President Trump lifted that hold upon taking office in January, signaling a return to a more traditional stance of robust U.S. military support for Israel.
Yet, the process for approving such arms sales is far from automatic. Congress conducts informal reviews at the committee level, often sending requests back to the State Department for further scrutiny before a more formal notification is made. This system, designed to ensure oversight and transparency, has come under increased pressure as the U.S. public and lawmakers debate the wisdom of continued large-scale arms transfers to Israel in the current climate.
As Associated Press reports, the sale comes as U.S. diplomatic efforts to broker an end to the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas have largely stalled. Recent Israeli strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, have drawn widespread condemnation from U.S. allies in the Middle East, but the Trump administration’s position appears unchanged. “The strike in Doha, which Washington described as counterproductive, has not altered the Trump administration’s stance on the measure,” The Wall Street Journal observed.
Beyond the halls of Congress and the corridors of international diplomacy, the situation in Gaza is becoming ever more dire. International hunger monitors have declared a famine in Gaza City, and a professional organization of genocide scholars has accused Israel of committing genocide in the enclave. These developments add urgency—and controversy—to the debate over whether the U.S. should continue supplying offensive weapons to Israel at current levels.
For now, the fate of the $6 billion arms package rests with the top leaders of the House and Senate foreign affairs panels. Their decision will be closely watched not only in Washington and Jerusalem, but also in capitals across the Middle East and Europe, where the ripple effects of U.S. policy are felt acutely. As the world’s attention turns to the United Nations and the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the question of American military support for Israel remains as contentious—and consequential—as ever.
With the stakes so high and opinions deeply divided, the coming weeks are likely to see intense debate over the future of U.S.-Israel military cooperation and the broader path toward peace in the region.
