Israeli arms companies’ revenues soared in 2024

Value of Israel’s defence exports accrued 13 percent successful 2024 compared with the erstwhile twelvemonth to a grounds of astir $15bn.

Israeli arms companies made record-high revenues past year, arsenic weapons manufacturers marketplace immoderate of their products arsenic “battle-tested” aft their deployment successful Israel’s genocidal warfare against the Palestinian radical successful Gaza.

Israel’s defence exports accrued 13 percent successful 2024 compared with the erstwhile twelvemonth to a grounds of astir $15bn, dominated by missiles, rockets and air-defence systems, the Israeli authorities said successful a connection successful June.

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More than fractional the deliveries successful 2024 went to European militaries, portion different shipments went to countries successful the Asia Pacific region, led by India.

Israel is 1 of the apical 10 arms-exporting countries successful the world.

The summation successful revenues past twelvemonth came arsenic Israel faced allegations of genocide successful a lawsuit brought by South Africa astatine the International Court of Justice (ICJ), portion the International Criminal Court has issued apprehension warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his erstwhile Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged warfare crimes.

“Israel sells the thought of getting distant with it,” Antony Loewenstein, writer of The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World, told Al Jazeera.

“There is simply a precise large entreaty of that to galore different nations.”

Shir Hever, an Israeli arms commercialized specialist, said that the countries that import Israeli weapons are alert that their enactment is “illegal”.

Hever told Al Jazeera: “[Buyers] cognize that a genocide is taking place, and 3rd countries are nether a ineligible work not to commercialized with countries that are committing warfare crimes and crimes against humanity.”

As Israeli weapons companies summation revenues, Palestinians successful Gaza who person survived the warfare recount attacks that killed their loved ones.

Kareem al-Birawi told Al Jazeera that his parent and 3 siblings were killed successful a quadcopter onslaught astatine the Osama Ben Zaid School successful Jabalia past year.

“I saw the drone participate the room. There was a reddish flash, past fume came out,” helium said.

“After that, determination was an detonation and fire. My mum and aunt were screaming. Then they each went silent.”

‘We are watched each the time’

Israeli arms exports besides see artificial quality and surveillance tools specified arsenic facial designation technology, which is installed successful hundreds of locations successful the occupied West Bank and utilized extensively successful Gaza.

Ahmad Lubbad, a released Palestinian detainee, discovered the grade of Israel’s surveillance successful December 2023 erstwhile helium was detained.

He told Al Jazeera that the Israeli soldiers knew his wife’s telephone number, his caller and aged addresses, and the names of his neighbours and everyone helium worked with.

“After what I went done successful the interrogation, I americium convinced we are watched each the time. Totally exposed,” Lubbad said.

Israel’s Ministry of Defence said successful June that determination was monolithic maturation successful request from Europe successful 2024, with exports expanding to 54 percent of the full from 36 percent successful 2023. Asia Pacific followed Europe astatine 23 percent, and the United States astatine 9 percent .

Despite the accrued request from Europe, immoderate countries, specified arsenic Spain, person imposed restrictions connected arms imports from Israel.