TEL AVIV, 9 November, 2026 (Nosheen): Israel and the United States are negotiating a new multiyear military assistance agreement, with Israel seeking to finalize the deal before the new US Congress takes office in January, according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. The negotiations are reportedly taking place amid concerns in Israel that political changes in Washington could create obstacles to the continuation of American military assistance. The newspaper reported that US military aid to Israel would not end immediately, contrary to earlier remarks by President Donald Trump. Under the proposed arrangement, direct military assistance is expected to be reduced by nearly half, with the existing 10-year framework shortened to five years after the current agreement expires in 2028. Direct US military assistance would then be phased out completely at the end of the five-year period. However, Washington is reportedly considering increasing financial support for the joint development of air and missile defence systems from the current annual allocation of $500 million to an unspecified amount. The report comes as the United States continues to provide extensive military, financial and diplomatic support to Israel, including during its military campaign in Gaza since October 2023. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, negotiating teams from both countries are involved in the discussions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s representatives are participating on behalf of Washington, while officials from Israel’s Defence Ministry and its embassy in Washington are representing Tel Aviv. The newspaper further reported that Israeli negotiators were taken by surprise when Trump announced that American military assistance to Israel would end by the close of 2026, leaving them initially uncertain about the meaning of his statement. Citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, the newspaper said Trump’s remarks were largely motivated by domestic political considerations and were intended to support Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who has strongly criticised US military assistance to Israel. However, the reported political effort failed, as El-Sayed defeated Rogers and became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. Speaking to Fox News on US Election Day, Trump said that Washington had been providing Israel with $4 billion in assistance, but that the funding would be discontinued at the end of the year. He also revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had raised the possibility of ending US aid, arguing that Israel had developed into a successful country that no longer required American financial assistance.