Did United Airlines ship military cargo to Israel? What we know

The rumor stems from a report claiming United took tank and fighter jet parts, among other items, to the country via passenger flights. Published Sept. 16, 2026 The claim that the United Airlines had been taking military equipment to Israel via passenger flights is still under investigation. The rumor stems from a Sept. 9, 2026, report by the Movement Research Unit, an organization that lends investigative power to left-wing groups. For this report, MRU worked with the Democratic Socialists of America, the Palestinian Youth Movement and People's Embargo for Palestine. The MRU mines open-source data — that is, publicly avaible data — to produce intelligence. According to the report, a review of cargo descriptions for shipments and waybills showed United Airlines took tank parts, fighter jet parts and electronic components for military use, among other items, to Israel using passenger flights. Most of the items were destined for Elbit Systems, a weapons manufacturer in Israel, but some went to Lockheed Martin in Israel, various military bases or the Ministry of Defense. MRU analyzed shipments starting in July 2025 and up to the day before the war in Iran broke out, the report said. In March 2026, United Airlines said it was suspending flights to the region due to the war, according to the report. United Airlines passenger flights resumed in September 2026, with the first flight landing on Sept. 9, 2026, according to the Jerusalem Post. As of this writing, Snopes could not definitively verify the report's claims because we did not have access to the data that MRU used to draw its conclusions. We reached out to MRU asking for more details about its methodology and access to its data, and will update this report if we receive a response. In emails to Snopes, United Airlines and Israel's Ministry of Defense declined to comment. We also reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense, Elbit Systems and Lockheed Martin and await responses. In September 2026, a rumor spread online that United Airlines had been shipping military equipment from the U.S. to Israel on its passenger flights. The claim circulated on social media platforms, including Facebook and X. One X post read, "United Airlines is therefore using its passengers as human shields to unlawfully arm the Israeli regime" (archived): The poster said United's alleged practices violated "IHL" (international humanitarian law) and that this cargo put passengers at risk. Snopes readers emailed us seeking to verify the rumor. The claim also appeared in The Intercept, an investigative left-leaning publication. The story cited a September 2026 report from the Movement Research Unit, an organization that lends investigative power to left-wing groups. For this report, MRU worked with the Democratic Socialists of America, the Palestinian Youth Movement and People's Embargo for Palestine. The Intercept said in its report that the outlet verified some of the shipments directly and that MRU had explained its research methodology in detail. The outlet had not responded to Snopes' request for comment about its verification process by the time of publication. As of this writing, Snopes could not definitively verify the MRU report's claims because we did not have access to the data the organization used to draw its conclusions. For this reason, we've left the claim unrated pending further information. In emails to Snopes, both United Airlines and Israel's Ministry of Defense declined to comment. We reached out to MRU asking for details about its methodology and if it would share the data it used, but did not receive a reply by the time of publication. We have also reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense, Elbit Systems and Lockheed Martin and await responses. Report claims nearly 3,000 shipments sent to Israel The MRU report, titled "The Role of United Airlines in Military Cargo Shipments to Israel," said researchers had scoured cargo description documents and United waybills to reach the conclusion that between July 2025 and February 2026, when the U.S.-Israel war in Iran started, United had made "at least 2,761 shipments" of military cargo to Israel. After the war broke out, United halted flights to the region, according to the report. It further alleged that the vast majority of the shipments were on flights departing from Newark airport in New Jersey, though some shipments had flown from Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois, straight to Tel Aviv, Israel. The military equipment had come from Texas — where most Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets are assembled — Georgia and California, according to the report. The shipments reportedly included F-35 fighter jet parts, as well as tank parts, electronic components for military use, radio and communications equipment, and helmet-mounted display systems. Many of these shipments were reportedly sent to Elbit Systems, an arms manufacturer in Israel, though they were also destined for Israel's Ministry of Defense and some military bases. "The capabilities enabled by many of the items in this report have facilitated Israeli war crimes in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran," the report read. The DOD and United have a contract set to expire in 2030. United Airlines' identification as a DOD contractor matched one mentioned in the report. However, it's unclear whether the United and DOD contract is directly related to the alleged shipments of military equipment to Israel. For further reading, Snopes has covered several claims about Israel's military, including the claim that it would merge with the U.S. military. Sources Democratic Socialists of America. "Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) - Workings Towards a Better Future for All.." Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), 2018, https://www.dsausa.org/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.Gill, Ritu. "What Is OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence?) | SANS Institute." Www.Sans.Org, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.sans.org/blog/what-is-open-source-intelligence. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.Hurowitz, Noah. "United Airlines Ships War Materiel to Israel Aboard Passenger Flights." The Intercept, 9 Sept. 2026, https://theintercept.com/2026/09/09/united-airlines-flights-israel-weapons-hardware-transport/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.Lockheed Martin. "Lockheed Martin Corporation." Lockheed Martin, 2024, https://www.lockheedmartin.com/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026."Ministry of Defense - Homepage." Ministry of Defense, 2025, https://www.mod.gov.il/en. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.Movement Research Unit. "Movement Research Unit." Movement Research Unit, 2025, https://www.mvmtresearch.org. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.---. The ROLE of United Airlines in Military Cargo Shipments to Israel. Democratic Socialists of America, the Palestinian Youth Movement and People's Embargo for Palestine, 9 Sept. 2026, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/68f39f06eb2e2f1e3c961bee/t/6aa192ee78067b7f2be597e2/1788973806740/Role-United-Airlines-Military-Cargo-Shipments-Israel.pdf. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.Palestinian Youth Movement. "Palestinian Youth Movement." Palestinian Youth Movement, 2019, https://www.palestinianyouthmovement.com/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026."Peoples Embargo for Palestine." Peoples Embargo for Palestine, 2025, https://www.embargoforpalestine.com. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.PerryCook, Taija. "House Passed Defense Bill. Will It Make US, Israeli Militaries Merge?" Snopes.Com, 24 July 2026, https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/07/26/us-israeli-militaries-merging/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026. By Anna Rascouët-Paz Anna Rascouët-Paz is based in Brooklyn, fluent in numerous languages and specializes in science and economic topics. Got tips? Reach out to her on Signal at rascouetsnopes.41 or via email at anna@snopes.com. Article Tags