Biden notifies US Congress of proposed $8bn arms package to Israel: Report

The State Department presented the agreement as a measure to “support Israel’s long-term security by resupplying stocks of critical munitions and air defense capabilities”, Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

“The President has made clear Israel has a right to defend its citizens, consistent with international law and international humanitarian law, and to deter aggression from Iran and its proxy organizations. We will continue to provide the capabilities necessary for Israel’s defense,” a US official was quoted in the report.

It comes as President Joe Biden approaches the final days of his term before the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald Trump.

The proposed arms sale, pending congressional approval, includes AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for fighter jets, 155mm artillery shells, small diameter bombs, 500-pound warheads, bomb fuzes and other related equipment, the report added.

The sale will reportedly see munitions delivered from current US stocks, while the majority will take one or more years to be produced and delivered.

The US faces criticism for providing military aid to Israel, as more than 45,650 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

Nearly 1,200 people were killed in the cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group, according to Israeli figures.

Several human rights groups, former State Department officials and Democratic lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to halt arms transfers to Israel, citing violations of US laws, including the Leahy Law, as well as international laws and human rights. Israel denies these allegations.

The Leahy Law, named after former Sen. Patrick Leahy, requires the US to withhold military assistance from foreign military or law enforcement units if there is credible evidence of human rights violations.

Biden halted shipments of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs to Israel in May because of its offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, citing civilian casualties in the enclave as a consequence of the bombs. In July, he decided to move ahead with the shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel after a two-month pause.

The flow of other military equipment to Israel continued, however, including $20 billion in fighter jets and other military supplies that were approved by the State Department in August.

The US, which provides $3.8 billion in annual security assistance to Israel, is by far the biggest supplier of arms to Tel Aviv, with more than 70% of Israel’s arms imports coming from the US, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

US-made weapons have been documented in several Israeli strikes on Gaza that resulted in civilian casualties, although American authorities have declined to confirm the fact.

A State Department report in May said it is “reasonable to assess” that Israel used US-made weapons in ways that are inconsistent with international humanitarian law. The report stopped short of reaching a definitive conclusion, adding it does not have “complete information”.