From Lockheed Martin to Gaza: The hidden deadly pipeline via New York

A Boeing 747 operated by Challenge Airlines departed John F. Kennedy Airport on July 16, 2025.

The bill of lading listed a 347‑kilogram shipment from Lockheed Martin. Inside was a BRU‑68 bomb‑release unit — a mechanism that allows F‑35 fighter jets to carry and release 2,000‑pound (over 900‑kilogram) bombs.

The flight’s destination was Nevatim Air Base in the southern occupied territories. Nevatim hosts the fleet of F‑35s that have been bombing Gaza.

This was not a one‑off weapons transfer. Domestic transport records shared by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which match public flight‑tracking data, show a steady flow of U.S.‑made weapons components moving from New York to the occupied territories.

Fighter‑jet parts, rocket‑launcher components and munitions have routinely departed JFK on commercial cargo flights even as Israeli airstrikes level homes, schools and hospitals.

These shipments began before the current wave of mass killing but increased significantly after October 7, 2023 (15 Mehr 1402). They have continued despite mounting evidence of war crimes and calls for an arms embargo.

What the consignments reveal is that New York City has become a vital logistical node in the weapons supply chain supporting Israeli strikes.

At least six arms shipments from JFK to the occupied territories between July 2 and July 23 have been confirmed by bills of lading, flight data and internal records.

These findings deepen previous reporting by The Intercept and Dig, showing how JFK has become a crucial link in Israel’s military supply chain.

Kalem Hawwa of the Palestinian Youth Movement said these records show that the tools of killing in Gaza are not only produced in Washington but are being moved out of New York. “JFK has become a gateway for weapons that are killing the Palestinian people,” he said.

These deadly flights and cargoes expose the logistics networks arming what the report calls Israel’s campaign in Gaza — networks that remain invisible to many inside the United States.

A civilian airport moving weapons for mass killing

Flight ICL982, operated by Challenge Airlines, typically departs JFK for Tel Aviv on a near‑routine schedule, usually before dawn. Cargo holds carry freight, electronics, consumer goods and letters. Among them appear boxes labeled “aircraft parts” or “hazardous materials,” terms that can conceal military use.

Among the July consignments tracked were:

• Structural aircraft parts and missile‑launcher mounts from Lockheed Martin
• Fuel‑selector valves used in Elbit Systems aircraft;
• Ammunition connection containers for Israel’s military industries;
• A BRU‑68 ejector unit for the F‑35;
• Protective leading‑edge (tip) lenses for fighter‑jet wings.

Each component is essential for maintaining and repairing larger weapons systems, and they are being moved under the cover of civilian logistics.

A JFK cargo worker said: “Most of us just check the cargo labels; we’re not told what’s inside. When pallets arrive packed and marked ‘confidential’ or ‘secret,’ we know not to ask questions. They pass routine checks. We just load them.”

Another cargo handler said: “The pallets are heavier, tightly packed and marked with labels you don’t see on regular freight. Security officers are always nearby. They tell us nothing — they just signal when to load.”

Why JFK?

JFK’s location on the East Coast shortens routes to Europe and the Middle East. Explosives warehouses along the coast make quick transfers from factory to aircraft possible.

Jack Cinnamon of Shadow World Investigations — an international research group that tracks the global arms trade and corruption and studies U.S.–Israel arms flows — points to two reasons JFK is a strategic node in the supply chain.

First, proximity to suppliers. He explained that numerous explosives and ammunition warehouses dot the East Coast; proximity makes JFK far more efficient for such shipments.

Cinnamon also says the abundance of reputable freight companies running full logistics centers inside JFK provides cover for military contractors.

The airport also stores hazardous and explosive materials, a capacity not universally available. That combination allows military consignments to move inside the same commercial spaces as ordinary cargo.

JFK is not the only U.S. airport feeding logistics lines to Israel’s war machine. Dallas–Fort Worth, Memphis International and Oakland have also served as key transit points in this network.

End point: Nevatim Air Base

The end of the line is Nevatim Air Base, southeast of Beersheba in the Negev desert, where Israel stations its fleet of U.S.-made F‑35 jets, aircraft designed for precision bombing.

Among the consignments leaving New York are BRU‑68 ejector units — hardware that allows those jets to release heavy munitions. The Pentagon lists the BRU‑68 under aircraft munitions equipment and notes its use with precision weapons such as the GBU‑31 2,000‑pound bomb. These ejector units wear out quickly and require regular replacement, making their transport routine. Alongside them are fuel valves, targeting consoles and protective lenses — parts that keep F‑35s airborne and battle‑ready.

The route is straightforward: parts move from Lockheed Martin’s assembly lines to a cargo warehouse at JFK, and on to the blast apertures over Rafah. This steady pipeline between New York and Nevatim enables Israel to continue its air campaign over Gaza.