US President Donald Trump has announced plans to end Washington’s annual $3.8 billion military assistance to Israel, bringing an early end to a 10-year security agreement that was scheduled to run until 2028.

Trump disclosed the decision during an interview on Fox News programme Fox & Friends on Tuesday, saying Israel no longer needed the financial support and had agreed to the proposed arrangement.

According to the US president, he discussed the matter with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was reportedly comfortable with the decision.

Trump, however, maintained that the United States would remain willing to assist Israel if the country faced a situation requiring American support.

He described Israel as one of Washington’s closest allies, adding that the country had received more assistance from the United States than any other nation but was now capable of meeting its own military needs.

The existing security arrangement was negotiated in 2016 under former US President Barack Obama and took effect in 2019. It provides Israel with $38 billion over 10 years, covering military equipment purchases and joint missile-defence programmes.

Trump’s announcement suggests the arrangement could be terminated before its scheduled expiration in 2028. However, he did not explain the specific steps required to implement the proposed withdrawal or clarify which aspects of the assistance would be affected.

The proposed move comes amid growing debate in the United States over continued military support for Israel, particularly as some Democratic politicians have criticised the billions of dollars allocated to the country.

Trump specifically referred to Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate contesting a Michigan Senate seat in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, citing criticism from politicians like him as one reason Washington should reconsider the arrangement.

Israel has also previously expressed interest in reducing its dependence on American military assistance. Netanyahu has spoken about strengthening his country’s defence independence, with earlier statements indicating a desire to gradually bring US aid down to zero over the next decade.

Despite Trump’s announcement, questions remain about how quickly the proposed decision can take effect, especially as the existing agreement runs until 2028 and the funding is subject to congressional approval.

The US president maintained that ending the financial assistance would not affect the relationship between both countries, insisting that Washington would still provide support if Israel required it.

Sources: AFP, Associated Press (AP), ABC News and Reuters.