Israel says 1,000th aircraft bringing Western military supplies landed since war on Gaza began

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its 1,000th aircraft in an ongoing Western airlift since the start of the Gaza genocide had landed in the country, bringing total military cargo delivered since Oct, 8, 2023 to more than 120,000 tons.

The announcement comes as the US continues to support Tel Aviv during the Gaza war, with some Western governments criticizing Israeli actions and imposing restrictions on arms exports.

Spain issued a royal decree in September imposing a full arms embargo on Israel, while last year the UK, Germany, and Canada imposed limits on weapons transfers.

“The 1,000th aircraft in the comprehensive military equipment and weapons airlift operation, which commenced immediately following the outbreak of war, has landed in Israel,” said a ministry statement, calling the operation “unprecedented” in Israeli history.

The aircraft, carrying a large shipment of military equipment, was received by Defense Ministry Director-General Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, the ministry said.

“To date, over 120,000 tons of military equipment, munitions, weapons systems, and protective gear have been transferred to Israel via 1,000 aircraft and approximately 150 maritime vessels,” the statement added.

The statement did not specify the exact origins of the shipments. However, it said the operation is jointly managed by the Defense Ministry’s Procurement Directorate, through the International Defense Transportation Unit, the ministry’s missions in the US and Berlin, the army’s Planning and Force Build-Up Directorate, and the Israeli Air Force.

An October report by the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft said the US has provided Israel with at least $21.7 billion in military assistance since the start of the Gaza genocide two years ago.

After Oct. 7, 2023, the US supplied $17.9 billion in military aid during the term of former President Joe Biden, and $3.8 billion under current President Donald Trump, according to the report. Some of that assistance has already been delivered, while the remainder will arrive in the coming years.

The report said Israel would not be able to continue its genocide in Gaza without US support.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 70,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, injured over 170,000, and reduced most of the enclave to rubble.