The Biden administration is advancing a $680 million weapons deal with Israel, according to a U.S. official who is familiar with the details. This development comes shortly after a U.S.-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect in Lebanon.
The arms package, initially reported by the Financial Times, includes thousands of joint direct attack munition kits (JDAM) and several hundred small-diameter bombs. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed these details.
The announcement follows the ceasefire that concluded one of the most intense exchanges in years between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group operating in Lebanon. At the same time, Israel remains actively engaged in conflict with Hamas, a Palestinian terror organization based in the Gaza Strip.
Plans for this arms deal have been underway for several months. The official noted that the proposal was first presented to congressional committees in September and then formally submitted for review in October.
This deal comes on the heels of a $20 billion military sale to Israel in August, which included fighter jets and various other equipment.
In June, Reuters reported that the United States, Israel’s strongest ally and primary arms supplier, had provided Israel with over 10,000 high-powered 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023.
Discussions about the current arms package occurred even as some progressive U.S. senators, including Bernie Sanders, introduced resolutions aimed at halting certain arms sales to Israel due to concerns over the humanitarian crisis affecting Palestinians in Gaza.
These resolutions, however, failed to pass in the Senate.
{Matzav.com}