Israel to raise defense spending amid military offensive on Gaza
The budget agreement will allow the Defense Ministry to 'advance urgent and essential procurement deals critical to national security,' the ministries said in a statement.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the new defense budget 'fully covers the intense fighting in Gaza, alongside comprehensive security preparations for all threats — from the south, the north, and more distant arenas.'
Israel's military costs have surged since it launched its military offensive on Gaza following the deadly attacks by Hamas militants on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Since then, Israel has also fought Hezbollah in Lebanon and waged a 12-day air war with Iran, and carried out airstrikes in Syria this week after vowing to destroy government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria and demanding they withdraw.
Over the past 21 months, Israel's missile defense systems have been working almost daily to intercept missiles fired by Hezbollah, Iran and Houthis in Yemen.
Current annual defense spending is 110 billion shekels - about 9 percent of gross domestic product - out of a total 2025 budget of 756 billion shekels.
The extra budgetary funding 'will allow the Defense Ministry to immediately sign procurement deals for the weapons and ammunition required to replenish depleted stocks and support the IDF's ongoing operations,' said Amir Baram, director general of the Defence Ministry.
It would also enable the defense establishment to initiate development programs to strengthen the Israel Defense Forces' qualitative edge for future systems, he said.
Multiple scenarios
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the funds would allow Israel to prepare for multiple scenarios since 'enemies are openly declaring their intent to destroy us...For this we require complete military, technological and operational superiority.'
Separately, the Defense Ministry said it had signed a deal with state-run Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to accelerate serial production of Arrow interceptors.
The Arrow, developed and manufactured in cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, is a missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles.
The Arrow had a high interception rate during the conflicts with Hamas and Iran. As part of the deal, IAI will supply the military with a significant additional amount of Arrow interceptors.
'The numerous interceptions it carried out saved many lives and significantly reduced economic damage,' Baram said.
On Wednesday, the ministry signed a $20 million deal with Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) to supply advanced machine guns aimed at significantly enhancing the IDF ground forces' firepower capabilities.
($1 = 3.3553 shekels)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Militants kill ‘dozens' of soldiers and civilians in Burkina Faso
A manager in a road haulage company confirmed the convoy attackThe attack on the military base was on Tuesday claimed by the JNIMABIDJAN: Two militant attacks in northeastern Burkina Faso early this week killed 'several dozens' of soldiers and civilians, two security sources and a local source told AFP on a 'major' attack carried out on Monday, a military unit in the village of Dargo was targeted by 'armed terrorist groups,' leaving 'several dozens of deaths on each side,' one of the regional security sources other security source told AFP that militants waged a second attack on Monday, on a supply convoy going between the towns of Dori and Gorom-Gorom.'In that ambush, several soldiers were killed, along with civilians, notably truck drivers transporting supplies,' said the source.A manager in a road haulage company confirmed the convoy attack, and said that 'some 20 drivers and their apprentices were killed.'The attack on the military base was on Tuesday claimed by the JNIM, an armed Islamist militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda that is active also in Mali and Niger. The group indicated it had killed 40 Burkinabe JNIM has risen to become the most influential militant threat in the Sahel region, according to the United Faso has been plagued by attacks by the JNIM and the Daesh group since a group of West African journalists specializing in Sahel security issues, said the attack on the Dargo base was one of the deadliest attacks against Burkina's military 'in recent weeks.'In a post on X, the Wamaps group cited local sources as saying that around 50 soldiers were the convoy attack, 'nearly 200 terrorists' from the Daesh group in the Sahel were believed to have taken part, the group said, adding that 'some 15 escort soldiers were killed and more than 10 drivers executed.'
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Israel intercepts Houthi missile fired from Yemen
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Friday, which the Iran-backed Houthi militants said they had launched. 'Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted,' the Israeli military said. The Houthis targeted Israel's Ben Gurion airport 'using a 'Palestine 2' hypersonic ballistic missile,' their military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement. The militants have launched repeated missile and drone attacks against Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. The Houthis, who say they are acting in support of the Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza that ended in March, but renewed them after Israel resumed major operations. Israel has carried out several retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi-held ports and the airport in the militant-held capital Sanaa.`
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Turkiye's Balkans policy offers it a stronger role in Europe
When focusing on Turkiye's foreign policy, its role in the Middle East or its relationships with the EU and the US take the most attention. Although the Balkans has not been a priority in either Turkish policy debates or in public opinion, it has been strategically important for Turkiye throughout its modern history. Given its geopolitical significance, Turkiye maintains a calculated policy toward this region, maintaining a balanced relationship with all actors there. As part of this policy, Turkiye launched a new diplomatic initiative for the Balkans — the Balkan Peace Platform — which held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul last week. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who chaired the meeting, announced that the platform would convene informally every six months, with Istanbul serving as the host for the time being. The meeting brought together high-level officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania. The Turkish-led platform's aim is to promote dialogue in the region, whose stability and security is not only critical for Turkiye but also for Europe. The Balkans region connects Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. However, it has a long history of conflict and great powers have competing interests there. This complex past has even led to the emergence of the term 'Balkanization,' which refers to a region marked by conflict, fragmentation and persistent instability. Recalling the region's history of chronic instability, Fidan warned that 'missed opportunities' can lead to serious economic and security consequences, emphasizing the need for 'regional solutions to regional problems.' The Western Balkans is a region where Russia and the Western powers maintain a particular strategic interest. In this context, Turkiye neither positions itself as a counterbalance to Russia nor as an alternative to the EU or the US. Instead, it seeks to play the role of a stabilizing force. At the heart of Turkiye's Balkans policy is the long-standing Serbia-Kosovo dispute, which is one of Europe's most serious challenges. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has since been recognized by several countries, including Turkiye. However, Belgrade has never accepted Kosovo's independence. Ankara, meanwhile, maintains strong diplomatic relations with both sides. In 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid an official visit to Serbia, where he was received with an unprecedented level of warmth. With this visit, Turkiye placed the last piece in its Balkans puzzle. During its presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Process, Ankara also established the Turkiye-Bosnia-Serbia and Turkiye-Bosnia-Croatia tripartite dialogue mechanisms. These initiatives were part of its inclusive foreign policy approach in the Balkans. Maintaining good relations with all regional actors is key for protecting minority communities. This is a core principle of Turkiye's Balkans policy. Most importantly, Turkiye's Balkans policy closely aligns with broader Western goals. The Western Balkan states share aspirations to join both the EU and NATO and Ankara supports these goals. It has actively backed the accession of Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia to NATO and supports their official candidacy for EU membership. This support reflects Ankara's strategic aim of maintaining a strong presence in the region ahead of these countries joining the EU. The region connects Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. However, it has a long history of conflict. Dr. Sinem Cengiz Besides political support, Turkiye has free trade agreements with all of the Western Balkan states and is undertaking ambitious infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the Belgrade-Sarajevo motorway, which represents an ambitious Turkish investment at the heart of the Western Balkans. Improving infrastructure in the region is seen as a critical step toward supporting its integration into the EU. In addition, Turkiye is advancing its energy strategy in the region through new agreements. Most recently, it signed memorandums of energy cooperation with both Bulgaria and Romania. Turkiye also continues to assert itself as a security actor in the Balkans. It is already part of NATO's Kosovo Force, assuming the mission's command for the first time in 2023. Among the NATO member states and partner countries contributing to this mission, Turkiye holds the second-largest military contingent. In March, Turkiye took steps to ratify broad military framework agreements with Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, allowing it to deepen its defense cooperation with these countries. In May, military leaders from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro gathered in Istanbul to reaffirm regional military cooperation, offering a rare display of unity. The timing of the meeting was particularly significant as the Balkan states are significantly affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. They are divided in their ties with the US and Russia, having varying threat perceptions toward these global actors. For example, Albanians largely see the US and, to some extent, Turkiye as key allies. Bosnians also tend to pivot toward Turkiye as their key partner, while Serbia continues to align itself closely with Russia. This reflects the complex picture in the Balkans, where the US, Russia and Turkiye, as well as EU states, all wield influence. However, despite these rivalries, Turkiye's carefully balanced policy, supported by diplomacy, military and economic incentives, not only provides it with a unique opportunity to solidify its role in the Balkans, but it also increases its leverage in Europe. Most importantly, Turkiye's involvement in the Balkan security, political and economic architecture should be seen as an asset by the EU, and the broader West, because Ankara's pursuit of close ties with the Balkan states aims to complement and reinforce Europe's broader objectives for this region.
