A well-informed American official told Reuters, on Wednesday, that the administration of US President Joe Biden is moving forward with a $680 million arms sales package to Israel, even as the ceasefire in Lebanon enters into force.
The Financial Times reported that US officials recently informed Congress of this plan to supply Israel with thousands of “attack munitions” known as Jdams that are guided via satellite, as well as hundreds of small bombs.
The newspaper said that this new shipment was mentioned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as one of the reasons for supporting the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, on Tuesday.
The US official added to Reuters that the deal was first presented to congressional committees in September, and then submitted for review in October.
The new package comes after the approval of the sale of fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel worth $20 billion in August.
US Senate
These talks about the new weapons package took place, even as a group of US senators, including Bernie Sanders, presented resolutions to prevent the sale of some American weapons to Israel, due to the humanitarian catastrophe facing the Palestinians in Gaza, but the legislation was rejected in the Senate. .
Biden, whose term ends in January, strongly supported Israel in its war on Gaza.
In June, Reuters reported that Washington, Israel's largest ally and arms supplier, had sent Israel more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles since the start of its war on Gaza.
Most of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, and the Strip is facing the threat of famine, more than a year after Israel's war on Gaza.