WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has told top lawmakers it will send more than $1 billion in additional weapons and munitions to Israel, three congressional aides said Tuesday. But it was not immediately clear how soon the weapons would be delivered.
This is the first arms shipment to Israel revealed since the administration implemented another arms transfer, consisting of 3,500 bombs going up to £2,000 each, pending this month. The Biden administration, citing concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza, said it had suspended the transfer of bombs to prevent Israel from using those particular munitions in its scope. offensive in the populated town of Rafah, south of Gaza.
The amount revealed Tuesday includes about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million for tactical vehicles and $60 million for mortar shells, congressional aides said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an arms transfer that has not yet been made public.
There was no immediate indication when the weapons would be sent. Two congressional aides said the shipment was not part of the long-delayed foreign aid program which Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed last month. It was unclear whether the shipment was the latest installment of an existing arms deal or something new.
The Biden administration has been criticized on both sides of the political spectrum for its military support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which has now lasted seven months – at a time when Biden is fight for re-election against former President Donald Trump.
Some of Biden’s Democratic colleagues have pushed him to limit offensive weapons transfers to Israel in order to pressure the US ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. Demonstrations on university campuses across the United States spread the message this spring.
Republican lawmakers seized power from administration pause on bomb transfers, arguing that any decline in US support for Israel – its closest ally in the Middle East – weakens that country in its fight against Hamas and other Iranian-backed groups. In the House, they plan to introduce a bill this week mandating the delivery of offensive weapons to Israel.
Despite the one-time suspension of a bomb delivery, Biden and administration officials have made clear they will continue other arms deliveries and overall military support to Israel, which is the largest beneficiary of the American military aid.
Biden will ensure that “Israel has all the military assets it needs to defend itself against all its enemies, including Hamas,” national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday. “For him, it’s very simple: he will continue to provide Israel with all the capabilities it needs, but he does not want certain categories of American weapons to be used in a particular type of operation and in a place particular. And once again, he was clear and consistent on this point.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report plans for a billion-dollar arms package aimed at Israel.
In response to House Republicans’ plan to move forward with a bill mandating the delivery of offensive weapons to Israel, the White House said Tuesday that Biden would veto the bill. it was adopted by Congress.
The bill stands virtually no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But House Democrats are somewhat divided on the issue, and about two dozen of them signed a letter to the Biden administration saying they were “deeply concerned about the message” sent by the shutdown. sending bombs.
One of the letter’s signatories, New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, said he would likely vote for the bill, despite opposition from the White House.
“My general rule is to support pro-Israel legislation unless it includes a poison pill – like domestic policy cuts,” he said.
In addition to the written veto threat, the White House has been in contact with various lawmakers and congressional aides about the legislation, according to an administration official.
“We strongly oppose attempts to restrict the president’s ability to deploy U.S. security assistance consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives,” the House press secretary said this week. Blanche, Karine Jean-Pierre, added that the administration plans to spend “all the hundred” appropriated by Congress as part of the supplemental national security package that was signed into law by Biden last month.
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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Lisa Mascaro and Aamer Madhani contributed.
News Source : apnews.com
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