The package includes about $700 million for tank ammunition. Photo: JACK GES/AFP
The Biden administration said it would send more than $1 billion worth of additional weapons and ammunition to Israel.
This is the first arms shipment to Israel to be reported since The administration suspended another weapons shipment, consisting of 3,500 bombs weighing up to 2,000 pounds each. month.
The US government said it had suspended the bomb transfers to deter Israel from using those specific munitions in its offensive on the crowded city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, citing concerns for civilians.
Package According to three congressional aides, that's about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million for tactical vehicles, and $60 million for mortar rounds.
There was no immediate indication of when the weapons would be shipped. Two congressional aides said the shipment is not part of the long-delayed foreign aid package that Congress passed and Joe Biden signed into law last month. It is unknown whether the shipment was the latest tranche from existing arms sales or something new.
The Biden administration has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over its military support for the now septuagenarian Israel. month-long war against Hamas in Gaza.
Joe Biden has suspended bomb shipments to Israel to prevent the country from using the munitions in the Rafah offensive . Photo: Alex Brandon
Some of Biden's fellow Democrats have pushed him to limit offensive weapons supplies to Israel to pressure the U.S. ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. This spring, protests on US university campuses clearly demonstrated this idea.
Republican lawmakers have seized on the administration's pause in bomb transfers to argue that any reduction in U.S. support for Israel – its closest ally in the Middle East – weakens that country in its fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed groups. The House plans to advance a bill this week that would require the supply of offensive weapons to Israel.
Despite the one-time suspension of bomb shipments, Mr. Biden and administration officials have made it clear that they will continue arms supplies and general military support Israel, which is the largest recipient of US military aid.
Mr Biden will ensure that “Israel has all the military capabilities it needs to defend itself against all its enemies, including Hamas”, he told reporters in Monday, Homeland Security spokesman John Kirby.
“For him, it's very simple: he's going to continue to give Israel all the capabilities it needs, but he doesn't want certain categories of American weapons being used in certain types of operations in a specific location. Again, he made his point clearly and consistently.”
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