The administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden has notified Congress of a proposed $8 billion arms sale to Israel, according to US media, as the ally continues its devastating war against Gaza.
The State Department sent the notification to the House and Senate foreign affairs committees on Friday, US media reported on Saturday, citing unnamed officials.
The weapons will include 500-pound (226 kg) warheads, precision-guided munitions, artillery shells, missiles for jets and attack helicopters, and bomb detonators, as well as air-to-air missiles -air to intercept projectiles, according to reports.
Some ammunition production and delivery can be accomplished through existing U.S. stockpiles, but the majority is expected to be delivered to Israel over a longer period, according to U.S. media.
In August, Washington approved a separate program worth $20 billion, including jets, military vehicles, bombs and missiles.
In November, the Biden administration approved another $680 million arms package for Israel, including small-diameter bombs and precision guidance kits.
After the US president last year briefly suspended the supply of a single shipment of 907kg bombs that caused widespread destruction across Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly lambasted him.
Biden has consistently emphasized his commitment to the US ally and its “self-defense”, despite growing criticism over the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Tel Aviv Tribune’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said the sale would likely be approved by Congress.
“We have already heard from Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House, who said that one of his priorities is to ensure that Israel, their friend and ally, feels supported by the United States. To block it would require two-thirds of the votes in both chambers, and that’s simply not going to happen,” he said.
“Weapons continue to be sent to Israel even though a number of Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns that the United States continues to supply weapons while the Israeli military is not doing enough to fight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” he added.
In addition to warning about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, rights groups have accused Israel of carrying out “acts of genocide” in its war, and Israel has been ordered by the International Court of Justice to take measures to prevent genocide from occurring in Palestine. territory.
A UN commission of inquiry has accused Israel of pursuing a policy aimed at destroying the health system in Gaza, where around 90 percent of the population has been displaced.
Israel intensifies its attacks
Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza in recent days, killing more than 100 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The Israeli army on Friday ordered the forced evacuation of staff and patients from two hospitals in northern Gaza under threat of attack, days after its forces stormed the Kamal Adwan hospital and arrested its director.
At least 11 people from the same family were killed on Saturday in the Shujayea neighborhood in northern Gaza.
“Around 2 a.m. (00:00 GMT), we were woken up by the sound of a huge explosion,” said Ahmed Ayyan, a neighbor of the al-Ghoula family, adding that 14 or 15 people lived in the house.
“Most of them were women and children, all civilians. There is no one there who is firing missiles or who is a member of the resistance.”
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 45,717 people have been killed and 108,856 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The surge in Israeli attacks on Gaza in recent days comes as the Israeli government and Hamas have allowed representatives to travel to Qatar for negotiations on a possible ceasefire and an exchange of captives and prisoners.
