Israel has given final approval for a plan to purchase two new combat squadrons of F-35 and F-15IA aircraft from Lockheed Martin and Boeing, as Tel Aviv’s war cabinet is set to meet to discuss the possibility of resuming the genocide in Gaza.
The approval builds on earlier agreements, including an $8.6 billion US contract for F-15IA jets announced in late 2025, which included options to expand the fleet further.
The deal, approved by Israel's Ministerial Committee on Procurement, is the first step in a $119 billion military expansion plan that Tel Aviv’s defence ministry said would “strengthen readiness ahead of a demanding decade for Israeli security.”
Under the deal, Israel would buy a fourth F-35 squadron from Lockheed Martin and a second squadron of F-15IA fighter jets from Boeing.
In December, Boeing was given an $8.6 billion contract for Israel, including 25 new F-15IAs and an option for 25 more.
The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28, but a ceasefire has been in place since April 8. The US Navy maintains a blockade of Iranian ports.
The US has faced severe criticism for arming Israel.
Israel has killed over 72,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded more than 172,000 others in its genocide in Gaza since October 2023.
Despite such criticism, the US weapons pipeline has expanded.
In August 2024, Washington approved the sale of up to 50 new F-15IA fighter jets from Boeing, upgrades for existing aircraft, and thousands of AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
By the end of that year, Israel also received more than 32,000 tank cartridges, 50,000 mortar rounds, and dozens of heavy vehicles and tank trailers.
The US authorised emergency transfers of JDAMs, Hellfire missiles, and Caterpillar D9 bulldozers used in Gaza.
Even though a ceasefire has been in place since October 2025, Israel has continued to violate the truce and resorted to nearly daily deadly attacks on Gaza.
