Israel thanks US for 'record breaking' $705 million in military aid

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman thanked the United States on Monday for including a "record-breaking" $705 million package to aid the country's missile defense in the spending bill passed last week.

Lieberman said that the aid will be used for the development of Israel's multi-layered system, which is designed to shoot down short-range rockets from Gaza and Lebanon and counter long-range threats like that posed by Iran.

The US provides $3.1 billion in military aid to Israel each year under a 10-year security arrangement. The $705 million is a separate allocation, and is up from the $600 million provided for missile defense last year.

US President Donald Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill on Friday that provides billions in new funding for the military and national security.

In January, Trump cut US funding for the Palestinian territories, leaving the United Nations Relief and Works Agency faced with a potential $200 million deficit.

UNRWA responded by launching an $800 million emergency appeal for Syria and the Palestinian territories.