Since the beginning of October 2023, Gaza has been under an unprecedented, deadly military onslaught, during which Israel has dropped more than 25,000 tons of explosives on over 12,000 targets in Gaza.[1]
According to the UN, between October 7 and December 12, at least 18,205 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, about 70% of whom were women and children, and a further estimated 50,100 people were reportedly injured. Many more people are missing, presumed to be buried under the rubble, waiting for rescue or recovery.[2]
Israel’s ongoing siege on Gaza, the prevention of access to water and equipment, and the massive destruction of infrastructure have all led to a catastrophic crisis with lethal levels of food and water shortages, and the threat of outbreaks of disease. At least 40% of housing in Gaza,[3] as well as hundreds of healthcare and educational facilities, have been severely damaged, or completely destroyed in Israeli strikes. Up to 1.9 million people in Gaza have been displaced from their homes so far.[4]
The indiscriminate attacks being carried out against the people of Gaza are made possible with the help of Israeli and multinational companies – manufacturing and supplying attack weapons, vessels, vehicles, equipment, and technology – all reaping enormous profits from their complicity with Israel’s attack on Palestinian lives and basic rights.
Since the beginning of Israel’s latest attack on Gaza, the Israeli arms manufacturing industry has been in peak demand,[5] while the shares of international weapon suppliers to Israel such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman[6] are on the rise.[7] Between October 7 and November 19 alone, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) placed orders totaling NIS 4 billion (USD 1.08 billion) to defense industry companies.[8] Most of these companies have long been providing the Israeli military with the weapons and services used to enforce the 16-year siege on Gaza and against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
As in previous military onslaughts on Gaza, the Israeli military is currently testing new weapons and technologies through their inaugural operational deployment. This practice allows the manufacturers of these weapons to collect performance data – subsequently aiding them in refining similar technologies and marketing the current weapons and technologies to countries around the world.
Since the beginning of the recent Israeli assault on Gaza, the Israeli military has deployed a variety of new weapons including warships, armored vehicles, mortars, machine guns, cannons, and shoulder-fired missiles, among others. Such weapons are later branded by the companies as “proven effective” and “battle tested” for marketing purposes abroad, having been tested in attacks against the Palestinian population.
Detailed below are some of the companies supplying the weapons being used in Israel’s 2023 attack on the people of Gaza.
Boeing (NYSE: BA)
The American multinational corporation, Boeing Company, provides the Israeli military with Joint Direct Attack munition (JDAM), attack helicopters, fighter jets, and missiles.
Boeing attack munition, attack helicopters, and anti-ship missiles were used in Israel’s previous assaults on Gaza in 2022, 2021, 2019, 2014, 2008, and 2009.
Between October 10 and 18, Boeing expedited the delivery of 1,000 250-pound bombs and up to 1,800 GPS-guidance bomb kits designed for bombs of 500 pounds and heavier to Israel.[9] These deliveries were part of a US$735 million commercial sale between Boeing and the Israeli government.
According to an Amnesty International investigation finding, Boeing-manufactured Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) were used by the Israeli military in two deadly, unlawful air strikes on homes full of civilians in central Gaza.[10] The airstrikes took place on October 10 and October 22 and reportedly resulted in the killing of 43 civilians – 19 children, 14 women, and 10 men.
Boeing Apache attack helicopters also take part in the airstrikes on Gaza.[11] On November 5, the Israeli Air Force published a photo of a Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter, equipped with a detachable fuel tank and armed with missiles taking off, along with the caption “continuing to operate and attack in the Gaza Strip”.[12]
On November 15, it was reported that the Pentagon had ramped up military aid to Israel, delivering on requests that included more laser-guided missiles for Israel’s Apache fleet.[13]
The Boeing F-15 fighter jet has long been in use by the Israeli Air Force and is one of the Israeli Air Force’s first-line fighters.[14]
In February 2023, Boeing announced that it would be supplying Israel with 25 F-15 EX fighter jets with options for 25 more. According to Boeing, the new F-15 can carry more weapons than other fighter jets of its class and can launch weapons weighing up to 7,000 pounds.[15]
Boeing is also the developer of Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 missile systems, a US-Israeli anti-ballistic missile system, jointly developed and produced by Boeing and Israel’s Aerospace Industries.[16] On November 10, Israel activated the Arrow 3 system for the first time, intercepting a missile launched from Yemen.[17] Following this, on November 23, it was announced that the IMOD finalized an agreement to sell the Arrow 3 air defense system to Germany for an estimated US$3.6 billion,[18] in the biggest-ever Israeli defense sale.[19]
Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT)
The U.S.-based multinational, Caterpillar, is a long-standing supplier of the Israeli military and provides it with a variety of heavy engineering machinery for military use, including the D9 bulldozer.
Caterpillar machinery has been widely used for house demolition, settlement construction, and the construction of the Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank. Armored D9 bulldozers are used by the Israeli military to accompany military forces during invasions and military arrests in the occupied West Bank.[20]
The D9 bulldozers have been adapted to the military’s needs and some are currently undergoing adaptation to enable autonomous operations without the need for a driver.[21]
Caterpillar machinery and the D9 armored bulldozers have been extensively used in previous Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2008, and 2009, for large-scale house demolitions, land-clearing missions, and the construction of the wall surrounding the besieged Gaza.[22]
The Caterpillar D9 is also used in the Israeli military’s so-called “Pressure Cooker” procedure, which is used to pressure a wanted person who fortifies in a house or other structure, to come out. In such cases, the D9 is used to demolish the structure with the person still inside. This procedure has been used against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.[23]
Since October 7, the Combat Engineering Corps has carried out an extensive recruitment of D9 bulldozer drivers to take part in the invasion of Gaza.[24] D9 bulldozers have been documented in the streets of Gaza causing massive destruction to roads, buildings, private property, and infrastructure.[25]
In November 2023, the IMOD initiated an urgent procurement of dozens of D9 heavy bulldozers.[26] Some of these D9 bulldozers are currently undergoing adaptation processes for autonomous or semi-autonomous operations, allowing the bulldozers to operate without the need for a driver.
Elbit Systems (NASDAQ: ESLT)
The Israeli weapons company, Elbit Systems, is Israel’s biggest military and arms company.
The company has a tightly-knit relationship with the Israeli security apparatus and provides a wide range of services and products to the Israeli military. Several Elbit Systems weapon systems are used by the Israeli military in the current invasion and ground attack in Gaza – some for the first time.
