The U.S. State Department has notified Congress about a proposed $8 billion arms sale to Israel as the country continues its fight against Hamas in Gaza. According to American officials, some of these weapons may come from the U.S. reserves, while most will take a year or more to deliver.
This arms package is designed to bolster Israel’s defenses and includes various military equipment. Among the items are medium-range air-to-air missiles, 155 mm artillery rounds for long-range targets, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles, and 500-pound bombs, among other munitions. This sale would add to the record $17.9 billion in military aid the U.S. has provided to Israel since Hamas launched attacks on October 7, 2023.
The Biden administration has been under fire recently due to rising civilian casualties in Palestine. There have been demonstrations on college campuses and efforts in Congress, particularly from Senator Bernie Sanders and some other Democrats, aimed at halting the sale of offensive weapons to Israel.
In May, the U.S. paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns about civilian deaths. The Biden administration has called on Israel to increase humanitarian assistance in the region. However, in November, the administration, noting some minor progress, chose not to restrict weapon transfers as previously threatened.
Recently, Israel has conducted airstrikes in Gaza, which have killed dozens, adding to the tens of thousands who have died since the conflict began more than a year ago. The Israeli military stated that it has targeted numerous Hamas gather points and command centers, emphasizing that it only targets militants and holds Hamas responsible for civilian casualties due to their operations in residential areas.
The conflict has caused widespread destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of whom have been uprooted multiple times. As winter arrives, hundreds of thousands remain in makeshift camps along the coast.
While the notification to Congress is not the final step for the arms sale, it allows the leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to review the package. Reports of the arms sale were first covered by Axios.
