Headline:
U.S. Approves $8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel Amidst Gaza Conflict and Criticism
Subhead:
Package Includes Munitions, Missiles, and Air-to-Air Weapons; sale Faces Congressional Review and Human Rights Concerns
Article:
The Biden administration has approved an arms sale to Israel worth approximately $8 billion, according to a Saturday announcement by the U.S. Department of State. The package, which requires congressional approval, comes amidst a heated political climate, with groups advocating for human rights and some Democratic parliamentarians expressing opposition.
The sale includes air-to-air missiles for Israel’s defense against aerial threats, 155 mm artillery projectiles for long-range targets, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles, 500-pound bombs, and more. While some of these weapons could be sourced from existing U.S. reserves, most will take a year or longer to be delivered, according to two anonymous U.S. officials who spoke on Saturday.
This $8 billion sale adds to the at least $17.9 billion in military aid that the U.S. has provided to Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. Despite escalating civilian casualties, the Biden administration has faced criticism and protests on university campuses. Some lawmakers, like Senator Bernie Sanders and certain Democratic colleagues, have attempted to block offensive weapons sales to Israel in Congress.
The arms package comes amid ongoing airstrikes by Israel in Gaza, which have resulted in dozens of deaths in recent days, contributing to the total of over 100,000 deaths since the conflict’s inception. Winter has now arrived, forcing hundreds of thousands to shelter in tents near the coast.
U.S. lawmakers will now review the sale, with the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee set to examine the package. The informal notification to Congress is not the final step before a sale. Axios first reported the news.
Source: Infobae, AFP, AP