US defence bill would expand military ties with Israel

A $1.15 trillion US defence bill passed by the House would widen military cooperation with Israel, Al Jazeera reported. The measure matters because it would add new joint work on weapons and technology at a time when US support for Israel is politically contested.

According to Al Jazeera, the bill includes plans for expanded cooperation between the United States and Israel on missile defence, drones and artificial intelligence. The report said those provisions would deepen military ties between the two countries.

Critics cited by Al Jazeera warned that the move could strengthen that relationship further while political divisions over aid to Israel continue to grow. The report did not identify a vote margin or detail the next steps for the legislation.

What is in the US defence bill for Israel?

Al Jazeera reported that the House-passed bill includes joint US-Israel work in three areas: missile defence, drones and AI. Missile defence refers to systems designed to detect, intercept or reduce the threat from incoming missiles; drones and AI are increasingly central to modern military planning and surveillance.

The reported provisions do not stand alone as a separate Israel bill. They are part of a broader US defence package valued at $1.15 trillion, according to Al Jazeera.

The political dispute is over what deeper cooperation would mean while US aid to Israel faces sharper scrutiny. Al Jazeera reported that critics see the bill as a step that could bind the two militaries more closely despite those divisions.

The House passage marks movement on the defence package, but the available report gives no further procedural details. The central takeaway is that the legislation, if enacted in its reported form, would expand formal military collaboration with Israel in advanced defence technologies.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.