Israeli authorities have reportedly expressed alarm and confusion after US President Donald Trump said Washington would end its military aid to Israel by the end of this year, with opposition politicians warning that it could undermine the occupying entity’s so-called security and damage its strategic relationship with the United States.

Israel’s public broadcaster reported on Wednesday that officials at the ministry for military affairs were caught off guard by Trump’s remarks, as they had not been informed of the decision in advance.

Quoting a senior security official, it said, “We did not expect to hear about the end of US aid today, at least,” adding that the security establishment would need to assess the consequences.

Channel 12 also reported an atmosphere of anxiety within Israel’s security establishment, as officials sought to determine the reasons behind Trump’s announcement, its implementation timeline and whether it would involve only financial assistance or a broader change in bilateral security cooperation.

Opposition figures sharply criticized the move, blaming the regime’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for allowing the relationship with Washington to deteriorate.

Gadi Eisenkot, a centrist opposition politician seeking to replace Netanyahu, said the fact that Israeli citizens and security officials had learned about a change to the strategic relationship through the media demonstrated the risks posed by the prime minister’s conduct.

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats opposition party, said a responsible prime minister would have sought to increase US assistance rather than dismantle it, warning that Netanyahu was deepening the regime’s so-called security and economic crisis.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid also described the decision as one of the most serious political and security setbacks in Israel’s history.

Trump announced the decision during a phone interview with Fox News on Tuesday, as Americans headed to the polls for the midterm elections.

He said Washington would stop providing nearly $4 billion in annual military assistance because Israel no longer needed it.

“We were giving them $4bn ... But it gets cut off at the end of the year,” Trump said, adding that the decision had been discussed with Netanyahu for several years.

He also suggested that arms sales could replace the existing aid arrangement.

Trump says US will cut $4bn aid to Israel by end of 2026

Trump says US will end $4 billion in annual aid to Israel by end of 2026, citing criticism from Democrats and other opponents of continued US financial support for the Israeli regime.

The announcement could have far-reaching consequences for Israel’s military procurement and defense planning.

The current US-Israel memorandum of understanding provides $3.8 billion in annual military assistance and is due to expire in 2028. The package includes $3.3 billion in foreign military financing for weapons purchases and $500 million for joint missile defense programs.

The announcement comes amid growing public criticism of US support for Israel since the occupying entity launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.

A Quinnipiac University poll released in September found that 48 percent of American voters believed Washington was providing too much support to Israel, up from 16 percent in 2017. Among Democrats, the figure had risen from 20 to 66 percent.