Biden informs US Congress of planned $8bn arms sale to Israel: Reports | Israel-Palestine Conflicts News
The administration of the outgoing President of the United States, Joe Biden, informed the Congress about the sale of weapons of $ 8bn to Israel, according to the American media reports, as the alliance continues its destructive war in Gaza.
The State Department sent the House and Senate foreign affairs committees the notice on Friday, US media reported on Saturday, citing unnamed officials.
The weapons will include 500-kilogram (226-pound) weapons, precision-guided munitions, artillery shells, missiles for helicopters and attack helicopters, and explosive bombs, as well as air-to-air missiles to intercept the projectiles, the reports said.
Some production and delivery of the weapons can be fulfilled with existing US stocks, but most are expected to be delivered to Israel for a long time, according to US sources.
In August, Washington approved a separate $20bn package, including jets, military vehicles, bombs and missiles.
In November, the Biden administration approved another $680m arms package for Israel, including small-scale missiles and precision-guided munitions.
After the US president last year briefly halted the delivery of 2,000 pound (907kg) bombs that have wreaked havoc across Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted him publicly.
Biden has repeatedly stressed his commitment to the US ally and its “defense” despite growing criticism over the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said the sale is likely to be approved by Congress.
“We have heard about Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House, who said that one of the most important things for him is to make sure that Israel, their friend and partner, feels supported by the US. To block it, you will need two-thirds votes in both houses, that will not happen,” he said.
“Weapons continue to be sent to Israel even though a number of Democratic lawmakers have expressed their concern that the US continues to provide weapons when the Israeli military is not doing enough to combat the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” he added.
In addition to warning about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, rights groups have accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide” in its war, and Israel has been ordered by the International Court of Justice to take measures to prevent genocide in Palestine. field.
A UN commission of inquiry has accused Israel of carrying out a policy of destroying the health care system in Gaza, where 90 percent of the population has left their homes.
Israel escalates the attack
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 the army stormed the Kamal Adwan hospital and detained its director.
At least 11 people from the same family were killed in the Shujayea area of northern Gaza on Saturday.
“Around 2 in the morning [00:00 GMT] we were woken up by the sound of a loud explosion,” said Ahmed Ayyan, a neighbor of the al-Ghoula family, adding that there were 14 or 15 people in the house.
“Most of them were women and children, all of them were civilians. There is no one there who fired missiles or from the resistance force.”
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 45,717 people have been killed and another 108,856 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The escalation of Israeli attacks on Gaza in recent days comes as the Israeli government and Hamas have authorized representatives to travel to Qatar to negotiate an end to hostilities and the exchange of prisoners.
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