What the Israeli Air Force Has in the Sky

As the Middle East country wages war against Islamic militant group Hamas, FLYING takes a look at its fighter fleet.

Kimberly Johnson

Monday, October 09, 2023 at 04:58 PM ET

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As of January 2023, Israel had received 36 F-35 fighters. [Credit: Israel Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted extensive airstrikes against identified Hamas militant strongholds in the Rimal area of Gaza City.
The IAF is a globally significant air force, ranked 9th with 581 aircraft, and comprises at least a third of the Israel Defense Forces' personnel.
Israel is actively modernizing and expanding its air fleet, notably increasing its F-35 "Adir" fighter jet arsenal to 75 aircraft and acquiring new KC-46A tankers and CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters, partly financed by U.S. defense aid.

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The Israeli Air Force (IAF) ramped up airstrikes against what it identified as Islamic militant terrorist strongholds Monday. Dozens of IAF fighter jets targeted structures including multistory buildings in the Rimal area of Gaza City, the service said.

“Rimal serves as a hub for the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, from which many attacks against Israel were launched,” IAF said in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.