7 hours agoKAS informs Congress of plans to sell Israel weapons worth $8 billion
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)The State Department briefed Congress on planning to sell Israel weapons worth $8 billion, say US officials, while the United States' ally country continues the fight against Hamas in Gaza. Some of them may be sent from the current stocks of American weapons, but for most, it may take one or some [...]
Some of them may be sent from the current American weapons stocks, but for most it may take a year or a few years to surrender, two American officials who spoke on Saturday under anonymity said, because the announcement was not officially sent to Congress.
The sale includes medium-sized action missiles to help Israel protect against air threats, 155mm artillery shells, Hellfire AGM-14 rockets and other weapons.
Selling these weapons would increase military aid of at least $1.9 billion that the United States has offered to Israel since Hamas' attacks on October 7, 2023, when the war began.
The Biden administration has faced criticism for increasing the deaths of Palestinian civilians. There have been protests on university campuses, as well as unsuccessful efforts in Congress by independent Senator Bernie Saunders and some Democrats to block Israel's sell weapons.
In May the United States temporarily suspended sending 2 thousand powerful bombs to Israel amid concerns about civilian life loss if they were used during the attack on the southern city of Gaza, Rafah.
President Biden's administration has demanded that Israel increase humanitarian aid in Gaza. But in November, deciding that limited progress had been made in this direction, the administration refused to limit the transfer of weapons, as it had threatened to, if the situation did not improve. / VOA
