Alwaght- On Friday evening, the Israeli fighter jets in an unprecedented operation heavily bombed the center of southern Beirut, reportedly leading to martyrdom of a number of senior Hezbollah commanders.
What do we know so far?
Casualties: At least 300 killed according to Israeli sources
Bombed area: Center of the southern Beirut, know as Dahiyah (suburb)
Targets bombed: 6 residential blocks
Bombs used: 2,000-pound bunker buster bombs
Fighter jets involved: 10 US-provided F-35s
Where does Israel get its weapons and bombs from?
Given the heavy bombing of the suburbs of Beirut, the US is accused of being a partner in Israel's genocide in Lebanon and Gaza. In fact, the heavy bombing of Gaza and Lebanon is mainly carried out by American and other Western weapons. In this report, we will take a look at Israel's largest arms suppliers.
Israel importer or exporter of arms? Reports show that the Israeli regime is the major exporter of arms, but its military is heavily reliant on imported fighters and guided bombs and missiles. Actually, the Israeli regime is an exporter in terms of light arms, but it heavily relies to foreign suppliers when it comes heavy weaponry. A Guardian report also acknowledges that Israel is the ninth largest arms exporter in the world, but their exports have focused on small-scale high-tech products rather than large-scale war hardware.
US, biggest provider of arms to Israel
The US is the largest supplier of weapons to Israel and has helped this regime equip its army with wide range of weapons from a technical point of view.
69 percent: According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US has provided 69 percent of the imported weapons needed by the Israeli regime between 2019 and 2023.
10-year pact: According to a 10- year pact, the US annually provides Israel $3.8 billion in military aid. The agreement suggests that this aid is meant to maintain the Israeli military supremacy in the region and against the regional countries.
$500 million: Part of the annual US foreign aid, about $500 million, are spent on funding Israeli missile defense systems like Iron Dome, Arrow, and David Sling.
US emergency support
In addition to the ordinary annual support, part of the US military support to Israel falls under the category of emergency aid. A BBC report gives a more transparent picture of the US arms exports to Israel.
Emergency aid after Gaza war: In December last year, the Biden administration announced the authorization of the immediate sale of an arms package to Israel, using the presidential emergency powers that allow bypassing the Congress. Since then, the Biden administration has sent hundreds of packages of weapons and military aid to Tel Aviv at the same time as Gaza war unfolded, or has promised to send them to Israel with authorization. Here are the provided items:
Sale of 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth $106 million
Sale of $147 million worth of parts to make 155mm artillery shells
Sending more than 100 military cargo planes of weapons including thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker buster bombs, and small arms.
A $20 billion arms sale including upgrade kits for 25 F-15IA fighter jets and an $18.8 billion package for up to 50 F-15I fighters.
An unspecified number of 8-ton cargo trucks valued at $583 million
30 medium-range air-to-air missiles for $102 million
50,000 rounds of 120mm mortars for $61 million
Delivery of 1,700 500-pound bombs and the promise of delivery of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs (907 kg)
US arms storehouses in Israel
Israel also hosts a massive US military arms storehouse that was built in 1984 for quick equipment of American forces in the emergency times and also for Israeli fast access when the need arises.
Use in the Gaza-Ukraine wars: According to a BBC report, during the Ukraine war, the Pentagon sent about 300,000 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine from its war munitions stockpile in Israel. Also, the ammunition accumulated in this warehouse was given to Israel at the beginning of the Gaza war.
Germany
According to SIPRI, Germany is the biggest European arms provider to Israel.
30 percent: According to reports, about 30 percent of the Israeli arms imports in 2019-2023 were from Germany.
€3 billion pact: In 2022, Israel signed a €3 billion ($3.3 billion) deal with Germany to buy three advanced Dakar-class diesel submarines, whose delivery is expected from 2031. They will replace the also German-made Dolphin-class submarines currently operated by the Israeli Navy.
10-fold increase: In 2023, German arms sales to Israel were €326.5 million ($361 million). This amount represented a 10-fold increase compared to 2022. In January last year, at the height of the Gaza war, the German government announced that arms exports to Israel included €306.4 million of military equipment and €20.1 million of weapons.
Weapons types: The German-provided arms include 3,000 anti-tank and 500,000 rounds of ammunition for automatic or semi-automatic rifles.
Italy
Italy is the third biggest arms exporter to Israel
Italian arms sent to Israel: According to reports, Israel arms include helicopter and naval artillery:
€17m in 2022: Italian military exports and licenses to Israel were worth €17m ($18.8m) in 2022, the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) has said in a report.
€13.7 million: Altreconomia magazine in a report said that the export of Italian weapons and military equipment to Israel in 2023 amounted to €13.7 million.
Britain
Britain is the fourth largest provider of arms to Israel:
£42 million: In December 2023, two months after the start of the Gaza war, the British government announced that the country's military and weapons exports to Israel amounted to £42 million ($55 million) in 2022.
£18.2 million: According to the British Department for Business and Trade, the London arms exports to Tel Aviv in 2023 dropped to £18.2 million.
British arms exports to Israel in the middle of the Gaza war: Between October 7, 2023 and May 31, 2024, that is, in the first 6 months of the Gaza war, 42 licenses were issued for the export of military equipment from Britain to Israel. The British Department of Trade and Commerce said that the military equipment exported included parts for military aircraft, military vehicles, and warships.
Suspension of some export licenses: In September 2024, the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced immediate suspension of about 30 arms licenses issued to Israel, saying he concluded that there was a clear risk that some military exports would be used to commit crimes or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian laws by Tel Aviv in the Gaza war.
