US President Donald Trump has said the annual military aid package of roughly four billion dollars to Israel will end after the current year.
Speaking ahead of the US midterm elections, Trump stated that an agreement had been reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the direct financial assistance. He added that the United States would continue to sell weapons to its closest Middle East ally if needed.
The existing memorandum of understanding, under which the US provides about 3.8 billion dollars annually in military financing, runs until September 2028. Trump did not specify how the early termination would be implemented.
The comments came during an appearance on Fox News. Trump accused some Democrats of using the aid issue for political gain. Public support for US assistance to Israel has declined among Democratic voters since the start of the Gaza conflict in 2023.
The announcement coincides with midterm voting that could shift control of Congress. Trump has framed the elections as a referendum on his second term.