WASHINGTON — The State Department has notified Congress of a planned $8 billion arms sale to Israel, US officials say, as the American ally moves forward. The war against Hamas in Gaza.
Some of the weapons in the packages could be sent through current US stockpiles, but most would take a year or more to be delivered, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity on Saturday because the notification to Congress has not been formally sent. .
The sale includes medium-range air-to-air missiles to help defend Israel against aerial threats, 155mm artillery shells for long-range targets, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles, 500-pound bombs and more.
The weapon package would be added to a Record military aid of at least $17.9 billion Since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 started the war, the US has given Israel.
The Biden administration has come under fire for mounting Palestinian civilian deaths. There have been demonstrations on university campuses unsuccessful efforts in Congress Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and some Democrats to block the sale of assault weapons to Israel.
United States He paused a 2,000-pound bomb shipment Israel in May over concerns about civilian casualties if bombs were used in an attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Biden administration has demanded an increase in humanitarian aid to Israel in the enclave. But in November, citing some limited progress, he refused to limit arms transfers as he threatened to do if the situation did not improve.
In recent days, it has been Israel Airstrikes in Gaza dozens of people have been killed, adding to the tens of thousands of dead since the start of the war more than a year ago.
Israel’s military said on Friday it had struck dozens of Hamas gathering and command centers across Gaza. The Israeli army says it only targets militiamen and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in densely populated residential areas.
It has wars it caused widespread destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants, many of them multiple times. Winter is here nowand hundreds of thousands shelter in tents near the sea.
An informal notice to Congress is not the last notice before a sale. Now the leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can review the package.
The arms sale was first reported by Axios.
