US Capitalism Is Laughing Behind the Scenes of the Gaza Tragedy

WAR RACKET--CATASTROPHE CAPITALISM, 17 Nov 2025

Tomoko Takeuchi – TRANSCEND Media Service

US Defense Industry Is Making Huge Profits – The Reality of the War Business Exploiting a Humanitarian Crisis

14 Nov 2025 – The Wall Street Journal reported on 12 Nov that the Israel-Gaza War has resulted in huge sales for U.S. defense companies.

According to Newsis, an unprecedented arms supply chain from the U.S. to Israel has been established over the two years of the Gaza war, resulting in significant profits for major U.S. companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Caterpillar.

U.S. arms sales to Israel have been increasing sharply since October 2023. According to U.S. State Department documents, the U.S. government has approved the sale of more than $32 billion in weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to date.

The majority of these costs are borne by American taxpayers. Israel typically receives $3.3 billion in military aid each year, but last year, that amount reached $6.8 billion. This amount does not include non-cash aid.

Even though the Gaza War has ended, Israel continues to face threats from armed groups in Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, and elsewhere. Furthermore, defense contracts approved by the U.S. government are often planned several years in advance.

Boeing is the company with the largest Israeli sales since the Gaza War. Last year, the U.S. government approved the sale of Boeing’s F-15 fighter-bombers worth $18.8 billion. Deliveries of the aircraft will begin in 2029.

This year, Boeing also received approvals for the sale of $7.9 billion worth of guided bombs and related components through multiple joint projects. This amount far exceeds Israel’s 2018 promise of $10 billion in purchases over 10 years. It currently accounts for a significant portion of Boeing’s $74 billion backlog.

Other companies that have also recorded significant sales include Northrop Grumman, which supplies fighter jet spare parts; Lockheed Martin, which provides high-precision missiles; and General Dynamics, which manufactures 120mm shells for Israel’s Merkava tanks.

Of the defense contracts approved by Washington, the largest proportion are for fighter jets and air-guided bombs, reflecting the heavy airstrike role in the Gaza war. In contrast, contracts for ground operations (bulldozers, tank shells, and troop and tank transporters) are relatively small.

Israel’s armored vehicle, the Eitan, is equipped with an Oshkosh chassis and a Rolls-Royce engine. Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers, used for debris removal and home and building destruction, are also frequently seen in Gaza.

Some companies have faced backlash from investors and employees for selling weapons to the Israeli military.

Last year, three Norwegian investment funds sold their shares in Oshkosh, Palantir Technologies, Caterpillar, and ThyssenKrupp for selling weapons to the Gaza war.

On the 1st of last month, ABP, the largest pension fund in the Netherlands with over $400 billion in assets under management, sold 387 million euros (approximately ¥69,597,176,000) worth of Caterpillar shares due to concerns about the Gaza war.

In August of this year, the German government announced that it would suspend approvals for arms exports to Israel for use in the Gaza Strip.

In September, Microsoft suspended its cloud services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense following employee protests.

Meanwhile, Palantir, an AI company co-founded by Peter Thiel, a close aide to US President Donald Trump, signed a cooperation agreement with the Israeli Ministry of Defense in January of last year.

US companies are also profiting from the process of providing aid to humanitarian crises caused by the war.

In June of this year, the US State Department announced a $30 million allocation to the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF). The foundation, led by former Trump adviser Johnny Moore, oversees the distribution of aid supplies. The fund has hired US security companies Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions to provide security on the ground.

In its latest annual report, Lockheed Martin explained that it benefited from the expansion of the US defense budget related to Israel and Ukraine, particularly from ammunition procurement. Lockheed Martin’s missile division sales increased 13% last year to $12.7 billion.

Armored vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh said an order for Israeli tactical vehicles has led to the extension of a production line that was scheduled to end last year.

Italian defense company Leonardo sells refueling trailers to Israel through its U.S. subsidiary, and in a recent quarterly report said, “Due to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Israel, international sales are expected to remain stable this year.”

The U.S. government continues to support Israel, seeking the Congressional approval for approximately $6 billion in arms sales. $3.8 billion of this would be for the purchase of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, enough to double Israel’s Apache fleet.

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Translation: Satoshi Ashikaga – Google Translate

Original in Japanese:  「米、ガザ惨劇の裏で笑っていた」軍需企業が莫大な売上…“人道危機”を利用する戦争ビジネスの実態

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 17 Nov 2025.

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