Biden plans US Congress to sell $8 billion in arms to Israel: Reports

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According to the US press, the administration of Joe Biden, who left the post of the US president, informed the Congress about the sale of 8 billion dollars of arms to Israel. A devastating war in Gaza.

The State Department sent a notice to the foreign relations committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Friday, US media reported on Saturday, citing unnamed officials.

The weapons reportedly include 500-pound (226 kg) warheads, precision-guided munitions, artillery shells, rockets and bomb fuses for jets and attack helicopters, as well as air-to-air missiles to intercept the missiles.

Some production and supply of ammunition may be carried out through existing US warehouses, but the majority is expected to be delivered to Israel over a longer period of time.

Washington in August approved a separate package worth $20 billionthis includes jets, military vehicles, bombs and missiles.

Biden administration in November He approved another $680 million arms package to Israel, including small-diameter bombs and precision-guided munitions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly criticized the US president after he briefly halted the delivery of a 2,000-pound (907 kg) bomb that caused widespread destruction in Gaza last year.

Biden has consistently emphasized his commitment to the US ally and its “self-defense” despite growing criticism over the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, said the sale is likely to be approved by Congress.

“We’ve already heard from the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, that one of his priorities is to make sure that his friend and ally, Israel, feels supported by the United States. “You would need a two-thirds vote in both houses to prevent that, and that’s just not going to happen,” he said.

“Despite the fact that a number of Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that the United States continues to provide weapons while the Israeli military is not doing enough to combat the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, weapons continue to be sent to Israel,” he added.

In addition to warning about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, rights groups have accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide” in its war, and the International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take steps to prevent genocide in Palestine. territory.

The UN investigative commission has accused Israel of carrying out a policy of destroying the health care system in Gaza, where 90 percent of its population has been displaced.

Israel increases its attacks

According to Palestinian health authorities, Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza in recent days, resulting in the death of more than 100 people.

The Israeli military ordered the mandatory evacuation of workers and patients on Friday Two hospitals in northern Gaza Under threat of attack, days after his forces raided Kamal Advan Hospital and detained its director.

At least 11 people from the same family were killed in Shujayea neighborhood in northern Gaza on Saturday.

Ahmed Ayyan, a neighbor of the Al-Ghoula family, said, adding that 14 or 15 people were staying in the house, “at about 2 a.m. (00:00 GMT) we were woken up by the sound of a huge explosion.”

“Most of them were women and children, all of them were civilians. There are no rocket launchers and resistance there.”

At least 45,717 people have been killed and 108,856 injured since Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The increase in Israeli attacks on Gaza in recent days coincides with the authorization of representatives of the Israeli government and Hamas to visit Qatar. negotiations on a potential ceasefire and captive and captive exchange.