JERUSALEM

Israel, which continues to strike both Gaza and Lebanon, on Thursday announced signing a deal to purchase 25 next generation F-15 fighter jets from US aviation giant Boeing.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said the agreement, signed on Wednesday, is part of a broader aid package approved by the US administration and Congress earlier this year and includes an option for 25 additional aircraft.

The jets will be "equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems" and integrated with advanced Israeli technologies, the statement said.

According to the ministry, the upgraded aircraft will help the air force "maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East."

Delivery of the aircraft will begin in 2031, with four to six aircraft to be supplied annually.

Israeli attacks in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion has killed more than 43,000 people, most of them women and children.

Violence also spread to Lebanon, where Israeli air and ground attacks have killed more than 3,000 people since the Gaza war.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar