Israel unable to wage war on Gaza 'for more than a few months' without US weapons: official

A senior Israeli air force official said on Monday that Israel would struggle to sustain its war on Gaza for more than a few months if not for the huge supply of US weapons to its armed forces.

The official, quoted by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, said that this particularly applies to Israel’s air force and air defence systems.

The newspaper reports that Israel's air force is crafting a recommendation to increase the domestic production of bombs, missiles and other ammunition in order to reduce its dependency on other countries, particularly its major ally the US.

The Biden administration has sent unprecedented emergency military aid to Israel as it wages its devastating war on Gaza, amounting to some $14 billion worth of weaponry, on top of the regular annual US military aid of $3.8 billion. Washington has additionally sent at least $500 million for the upkeep and upgrade of Israel’s air defence systems.

However, with at least 40,819 Palestinians killed by Israel since it began its war 11 months ago, Israel has said the US has delayed special munitions delivered to Tel Aviv, fearing it will be used to target civilian infrastructure and kill even more civilians. However, Washington said this only amounted to one single delayed shipment.

Additionally, key arms suppliers to Israel have curbed or suspended weapons sales in light of the scale of the civilian slaughter in Gaza, with the UK the latest country to announce a partial suspension of arms sales to Israel.

Other countries that have enacted similar embargoes include Canada, Spain and the Netherlands, while Germany, Israel’s second-largest supplier of weapons after the US, says arms sales have dwindled due to the scale of the death and destruction carried out by Israel in Gaza.

The backlash to what many rights groups and UN officials say is genocide in Gaza has led Israel to review the way in which it acquires weapons.

If the recommendations pass, the Israeli defence industry would vastly increase its manufacturing capacity. This would include investment in and the expansion of the country’s top arms manufacturers, such as Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel Military Industries and Elbit Systems.

Along with its war on Gaza, Israel considers itself to be in a “seven-front war” with Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, pro-Iran groups in Syria and Iraq, and Yemen’s Houthis.

Although the US has implemented minimal delays on some arms to Israel, Washington has pledged to fully support Israel if a wider regional war breaks out.