Israel Signs $5.2 Bln Deal to F-15 Fighter Jets from Boeing

FILE PHOTO: A F-15 fighter jet takes off during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots at Hatzerim Airbase, in southern Israel, June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A F-15 fighter jet takes off during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots at Hatzerim Airbase, in southern Israel, June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
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Israel Signs $5.2 Bln Deal to F-15 Fighter Jets from Boeing

FILE PHOTO: A F-15 fighter jet takes off during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots at Hatzerim Airbase, in southern Israel, June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A F-15 fighter jet takes off during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots at Hatzerim Airbase, in southern Israel, June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

The Israeli defense ministry said on Thursday it had signed an agreement to acquire 25 next generation F-15 fighter jets from Boeing Co.

It said the $5.2 billion agreement was part of a broader package of US aid approved by the US administration and Congress earlier this year and included an option for 25 additional aircraft.

The United States has provided crucial military support to Israel as it has battled Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and traded fire with Iran.
The Biden administration recently warned Israel that if it did not facilitate the delivery of more aid to Gaza, US laws may force the administration to curb some of its military support.
The State Department said this week that Israel had yet to sufficiently improve aid deliveries ahead of a mid-November deadline.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the wars in the Middle East without saying how he plans to do it.

Delivery of the new F-15IA aircraft will begin in 2031, with 4-6 aircraft to be supplied annually, said the Israeli defense ministry.

The aircraft will be equipped with weapons systems integrated with existing Israeli weapons as well as having increased range and payloads.

"These advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East," the ministry said in a statement.

"This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35 squadron procured earlier this year, represents a historic enhancement of our air power and strategic reach - capabilities that proved crucial during the current war," the director general of the defense ministry, Eyal Zamir, said in the statement.

Zamir said that the government has secured procurement agreements worth nearly $40 billion since the onset of the war in Gaza that began Oct. 7, 2023.

"While focusing on immediate needs for advanced weaponry and ammunition at unprecedented levels, we're simultaneously investing in long-term strategic capabilities," he said.

For Boeing, the F-15 agreement is the second major deal this year. In August, flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines, signed a deal with Boeing for the purchase of up to 31 737 MAX aircraft worth as much as $2.5 billion, beating out rival Airbus.

Ido Nehushtan, president of Boeing Israel, said the company's relationship dates back to Israel's establishment and "will continue working with the US and Israeli governments to deliver the advanced F-15IA aircraft through standard military procurement channels."



Italy’s Meloni Urges Netanyahu to Respect International Law in Gaza

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends the Italy-Greece summit at Villa Pamphili in Rome, Italy, 12 May 2025. (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends the Italy-Greece summit at Villa Pamphili in Rome, Italy, 12 May 2025. (EPA)
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Italy’s Meloni Urges Netanyahu to Respect International Law in Gaza

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends the Italy-Greece summit at Villa Pamphili in Rome, Italy, 12 May 2025. (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends the Italy-Greece summit at Villa Pamphili in Rome, Italy, 12 May 2025. (EPA)

Israel must respect international law in its military operation in Gaza, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave increasingly "dramatic and unjustifiable".

Israel invaded Gaza after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, and has recently announced plans for an expanded offensive to defeat Hamas.

"Over the past months I have spoken with Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu on several occasions, and the conversations have often been difficult," Meloni told a question time session in the Italian lower house of parliament.

More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to local health authorities. The military campaign has left Gaza on the brink of famine, aid groups and international agencies say.

"I have always recalled the urgency of finding a way to end the hostilities and respect international law and international humanitarian law. A request that I renew today," Meloni said.

Israeli strikes intensified this week, killing dozens in northern Gaza, locals have said.

French President Emmanuel Macron this week also criticized Netanyahu's policy in Gaza, calling it shameful. The Israeli leader struck back accusing Macron of siding with Hamas.

Meloni's government has been one of Israel's most vocal supporters within Europe, but there has been growing unease within parts of her coalition over Israel's relentless and long-running military campaign.