Israel cleared to buy $6.6bn in US attack helicopters, assault vehicles 

Washington has approved $6.67bn in United States arms sales to Israel amid a fragile ceasefire in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The US Department of State said on Friday that Israel has been cleared to buy US-made weapons, including 30 Apache attack helicopters for $3.8bn and infantry assault vehicles to a value of $1.98bn.

The Apache helicopters will be sold to Israel by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the Reuters news agency reports. A third military contract was also awarded for $740m, according to Reuters, and another $150m will be spent on light utility helicopters.

Israeli forces have widely used Apache helicopters to fire on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, where at least 71,662 people have been killed in Israel’s war on the enclave since October 2023, according to Gaza health officials.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the State Department said in a statement on Friday.

“This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the department said.

The US also sends billions of dollars worth of military supplies each year to Israel, weaponry which is largely sent as aid rather than sales.

Rights groups and United Nations experts have consistently called on the US to halt weapons shipments to Israel, which they say fuelled Israel’s ability to wage a genocidal war in Gaza.

While the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has largely held since taking effect on October 10, 2025, Israeli forces continue to launch attacks on Palestinians in the war-torn territory, killing almost 500 people despite the agreement to end fighting.

The State Department also said on Friday that it had approved a $9bn sale to Saudi Arabia for 730 Patriot missiles and related equipment, which is used to defend against incoming attacks.

“This enhanced capability will protect land forces of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and local allies and will significantly improve Saudi Arabia’s contribution” to the integrated air and missile defence system in the region, the State Department said.

The sale of the US missile defence equipment comes as US President Donald Trump has said that a large “armada” of US warships has been repositioned close to Iran, in anticipation of a possible US attack on Tehran.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in a call earlier this week that the kingdom would “not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin”.