At the same time that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has now reportedly agreed to a cease-fire in Lebanon but is still fighting in Gaza, the Biden administration has informed Congress that it is planning a significant new transfer of munitions and related military equipment to Israel.
This action signals that U.S. support for the Middle Eastern country has now waned.
The transaction comprises $680 million in Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits, which enhance the precision of unguided bombs, and 615 small-diameter bombs with a restricted blast radius to mitigate collateral damage, according to the officials.
The transaction is more than twice the size of a comparable package from last summer, which was valued at $260 million and did not include bombs.
According to U.S. officials, the administration initiated the sale procedure by sending an informal notification to Capitol Hill in late October.
The State Department’s spokesperson declined to provide any additional information regarding the commercial transaction. Questionnaires were directed to the State Department by the White House.
In announcing the Lebanon cease-fire on Tuesday, Netanyahu expressed frustration with the slow pace of U.S. weapons deliveries.
However, he also suggested that he had been previously informed of the proposed transfer.
In the 14 months since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and initiated the war in Gaza, fighting has persisted in Gaza, with only a brief ceasefire.
According to Palestinian health authorities, over 44,000 individuals have been slain in the enclave, although they do not specify the number of combatants.
Critics of the White House and Israel have called for a restriction on the delivery of U.S. armaments in response to the death toll and destruction.
The Biden administration has occasionally delayed deliveries and continues to withhold a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs, but it has maintained its commitment to Israel’s defense.
The firearms included in the most recent package will be delivered as early as next year.
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