Israel approves $300 million for urgent purchase of helicopters from the U.S.

The Israeli government has approved the allocation of 1 billion shekels (about 300 million dollars) for the urgent purchase of 12 American Apache attack helicopters.

According to The Times of Israel newspaper, on Wednesday morning the Israeli government held a vote on allocating additional funds to the Ministry of Defense for the urgent acquisition of 12 Apache helicopters.

According to the publication, the financing of the purchase is planned to be provided through cuts to a five-year investment program intended for areas where Palestinian citizens of Israel live.

In January, the United States approved a possible sale of Apache attack helicopters to Israel.

However, in recent weeks serious disagreements between Israel's defense and finance ministries over the distribution of budget funds have complicated the implementation of the deal.

It was previously reported that due to a shortage of funds in the defense budget, the Israeli army lost its reserved place in the production queue for 12 Apache attack helicopters made by the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

According to media reports, since Israel did not transfer the required amount within the established deadline, Boeing canceled the place in the production schedule previously allocated to it.

In June it was reported that the Israeli army acknowledged the impossibility of continuing its activities without urgent additional funding amid military expenditures that had reached approximately 50 billion dollars.

Israel's defense budget for 2026, initially approved in January, amounted to 112 billion shekels (30.3 billion dollars). However, in March it was revised upward — to 144 billion shekels (38.9 billion dollars).

Source: Anadolu