Less than a week after the White House halted the shipment of 3,500 bombs to Tel Aviv, the Biden administration has notified Congress that it will send a $1.25 billion package of weapons to Israel, according to an exclusive from The Wall Street Journal.
The aid package will consist of $700 million worth of tank ammunition, $500 million worth of tactical vehicles and $60 million worth of mortar shells, officials said on condition of anonymity, the paper said.
The decision comes after the White House earlier this month halted a shipment of some 3,500 bombs amid concerns that a planned attack on the southern Gaza town could cause civilian casualties.
The pause in the bomb shipments drew criticism from Republicans, who argued that it represented an abandonment of America’s closest ally in the Middle East.
House Republicans planned to counter this week with a bill mandating the delivery of offensive weapons to Israel.
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant of the US’s “strong commitment” to Israel’s security, while stressing its clear opposition to a ground military operation in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.
Blinken argued that such an operation will cause “terrible harm to civilians” and will not succeed in eradicating Hamas, as there will still be thousands of armed militants from this Islamist group.
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2024-07-05 06:28:08