US President Joe Biden’s administration has reportedly provisionally approved a $680 million arms program for Israel, even as it claims to be working for peace in the Middle East.
Reports of an arms deal Wednesday come a day after Biden announced a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and vowed to step up efforts to reach a similar deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza – a deal he repeatedly promised but failed to deliver.
The arms package had been in the works for months and was previewed by congressional committees in September and subject to broader review in October, an unnamed U.S. official told the Reuters news agency. which confirmed an earlier Financial Times report on Biden’s tentative endorsement. .
The latest delivery will include hundreds of small-diameter bombs and thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) kits, the two news agencies reported. JDAMs convert “dumb” bombs into precision-guided weapons.
The Biden administration has not confirmed these reports, the timing of which highlights the juxtaposition of the US position on the Middle East conflict – on the one hand facilitating ceasefire negotiations while selling billions of dollars of munitions to Israel while it kills dozens of people. thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese.
On Tuesday, Biden — who has consistently supported Israel and described U.S. arms sales to Israel as essential support for an ally — delivered a speech at the White House announcing that a U.S.-brokered ceasefire and which would see Israel withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days had been canceled. reached. This agreement entered into force Wednesday morning.
During his speech, Biden promised to once again seek to end the fighting that has raged in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
For months, Washington’s previous attempts to negotiate a deal have failed, with critics accusing Washington of failing to exert its most significant influence – by withholding some of the billions of dollars in arms it supplies to Israel.
To date, Israel has killed at least 44,282 Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war, when a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed at least 1,139 people. Israeli forces have killed more than 3,800 people in Lebanon over the past 13 months.
“In the coming days, the United States will make further efforts with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the release of the hostages and an end to war without Hamas in power – so that it becomes possible. » Biden said.
Questions about weapons
The latest arms package was reportedly blocked as part of legislation introduced by several Democratic senators to stop about $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, the Financial Times reported. However, the effort, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, failed to garner votes this month.
For their part, U.S. officials have repeatedly denied that delays in some arms transfers were linked to Israel’s actions beyond a pause this year on a delivery of 900 kg (2,000 pounds) bombs. ) in an unsuccessful effort to prevent Israel from launching a major ground operation in Rafah.
Speaking to reporters after Biden’s speech, a U.S. official denied that denying or promising more weapons to Israel was part of the negotiations that ultimately led to the Israel-Hezbollah deal.
The official said: “No part of this negotiation involved weapons on either side. »
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to offer a contradictory version on Tuesday, saying the ceasefire with Hezbollah was necessary to “replenish stocks,” among other reasons.
“And I say it openly: it is no secret that there have been significant delays in the deliveries of weapons and ammunition. These delays will soon be resolved,” Netanyahu said in a national address without specifically naming the United States.
“We will receive supplies of advanced weapons that will keep our soldiers safe and give us more leverage to carry out our mission.”
Continued support before Trump returns
Advocates said the latest endorsement from the Biden administration indicates there will be little change in the president’s policies before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
In an article on American and international law.
He noted that the small diameter bombs and JDAMs allegedly supplied in the package were linked to Israeli attacks on civilians in Gaza.
The Biden administration has also been one of the most vocal critics of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision last week to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, whom Israel claims to have killed.
In a statement, Biden called the arrest warrants for Israeli officials “outrageous” and promised to “always stand with Israel against threats to its security.” Netanyahu’s office announced Tuesday that he would appeal the court’s decision.
Trump is expected to take a more provocative stance against the ICC – and in his overall support for Israel – after taking office with his Republican Party in control of the US House of Representatives and Senate following the elections on 5 november.
Trump’s chosen national security adviser, Rep. Mike Walz, has already promised a “strong response” to the ICC and the United Nations “next January.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham went further, promising during a trip to Israel on Wednesday to introduce legislation that would “sanction any country that attempts to carry out the arrest warrant against Israel.”
“You might be a close ally – Canada, Britain, France, etc. – (but) if you view this arrest warrant as legitimate, then you’re going to encounter strong bipartisan resistance in America,” he said. Graham. “So for the world, if you reinforce this madness at the ICC, then you will have a hard time doing business in America and coming to America.”
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Graham met with the Israeli leader during the trip.
The prime minister’s office said Graham “informed him of his efforts in the US Congress against the ICC and countries that have cooperated with it.”