Israel approves deal to buy fighter jets from US

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Israel said on Sunday it had approved a multi-billion-dollar deal to acquire two combat squadrons of fighter jets from the United States.

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The purchase includes a squadron of F-35 multi-role stealth fighters from Lockheed Martin and another of F-15IA warplanes from Boeing, the defence ministry said.

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The plan aims to “ensure Israel’s air superiority for decades to come,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

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“The F-35 and F-15IA acquisitions are central to the ‘Shield of Israel’ plan, which is designed to give the IDF (Israeli military) a lasting qualitative edge.

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“Our mission is clear: to ensure the IDF has the tools, capabilities, and strength to operate anywhere, at any time,” Katz added.

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The F-35, a joint project between the United States and a number of allies, is one of the world’s most advanced military aircraft. Israel already operates several dozen of the jets.

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Israel’s air force played a central role in the war in Gaza, carrying out one of the most intense aerial bombardment campaigns in recent history.

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Thousands of strikes targeted what Israel said were Hamas positions, including tunnels, command centres and rocket launch sites, but vast areas of the densely populated territory were devastated, including homes, hospitals and schools.

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Israel has also fought two wars against Iran in less than a year, during which its air power has been used for long-range strikes deep inside Iranian territory.

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Israeli officials have described the strikes as precise and aimed at degrading Iran’s strategic capabilities, while Iranian officials have reported repeated waves of air raids on key cities and industrial areas.

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Israel recently approved its 2026 budget, which includes an increase in defence spending of billions of dollars.

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Israel’s military spending has steadily increased since the war in Gaza began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

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In addition to its recent weeks-long war with Iran, fought alongside its ally the United States, Israel continues to battle the Iran-backed Islamist movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

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