Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The US State Department has informed Congress that it intends to sell $8bn (£6.4bn) worth of military equipment to Israel, an American official has confirmed to the BBC.
The weapons, which require approval by House and Senate committees, include missiles, ammunition and other weapons.
The move comes two days before President Joe Biden leaves office. Washington has refused to freeze military aid to Israel because of the number of civilians killed in the war in Gaza.
In August, the US agreed to sell $20bn in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel.
The latest planned shipment includes anti-aircraft missiles, Hellfire missiles, artillery shells and bombs, a US government official said.
An expert on the deal told the BBC on Saturday: “The president has made it clear that Israel has the right to protect its citizens, in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law, and to stop aggression from Iran and its proxies.
“We will continue to provide the essentials for the defense of Israel.”
Biden often describes US aid to Israel as an ironclad.
The US is Israel’s largest arms supplier, helping to build the world’s most technologically advanced military.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US accounted for 69% of Israel’s major conventional weapons between 2019 and 2023.
Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s actions in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were captured.
More than 45,580 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the region’s Hamas-run health ministry.
