The U.S. State Department has formally communicated to Congress regarding a proposed arms sale to Israel valued at $8 billion, as the nation continues its military actions against Hamas in Gaza, according to government sources.
Some of these weapons may be available from existing U.S. stockpiles; however, the majority are expected to require a year or longer for delivery, as indicated by two unnamed officials who confirmed the information prior to the official congressional notification.
This arms package is set to include a variety of military equipment, such as medium-range air-to-air missiles to enhance Israel’s defense against aerial threats, 155 mm artillery rounds for long-distance engagements, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles, and 500-pound bombs, among other items.
The proposed sale contributes to a staggering total of at least $17.9 billion in military assistance that the U.S. has allocated to Israel since the onset of the conflict following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
The Biden administration has faced scrutiny due to the rising number of casualties among Palestinian civilians, igniting protests across university campuses and efforts by Senator Bernie Sanders and other Democrats in Congress to halt the sale of offensive weaponry to Israel.
Earlier this year, the U.S. suspended a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel due to worries about the potential for civilian harm if they were deployed during military operations in the southern Gaza area, particularly in Rafah. The administration has urged Israel to enhance the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, but as of November, it chose not to impose restrictions on arms transfers despite expressing dissatisfaction with the situation, citing some limited progress.
Recently, Israel has intensified its airstrikes in Gaza, resulting in numerous casualties and contributing to the immense death toll that has risen to tens of thousands over the course of the more than year-long conflict.
On Friday, the Israeli military claimed to have targeted multiple Hamas command centers and troop formations across Gaza. Israeli officials assert that their operations focus solely on militant targets, holding Hamas responsible for civilian fatalities due to its fighters operating within densely populated neighborhoods.
The ongoing conflict has led to devastating destruction, displacing about 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, a significant number of whom have been displaced multiple times. With the arrival of winter, many are now residing in makeshift tents along the coast.
The informal notification to Congress is not the final step before the arms sale proceeds. The leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will now have the opportunity to review the proposed package.
