US-Israel Relations

The Pentagon has sent military advisers, including a Marine Corps general versed in urban warfare, to Israel to aid in its planning for the war in Gaza, a US official told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

The war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas has reportedly created a potential opportunity for US weapons manufacturers to make missiles for the Iron Dome defense system.

The American destroyer USS Carney has shot down three missiles and several drones launched from the territory of Yemen controlled by Houthi fighters, the Pentagon has announced.

Washingtin will give Israel tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells that were originally set aside for Ukraine, Axios has reported. The Israeli military reportedly told the Pentagon that it needed the shells to prepare for a ground invasion of Gaza.

Several staff members of the administration of US President Joe Biden, in particular those with Muslim backgrounds, are worried about retaliation if they question Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip, HuffPost has reported.

US President Joe Biden has reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington is “fully in support” of Tel Aviv’s plans to launch a ground invasion of the besieged Gaza Strip.

The United States on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution proposing a humanitarian pause in the Gaza conflict for the delivery of aid to the enclave. The American ambassador to the UN said more time was needed for on-the-ground diplomacy to take place.

US President Joe Biden has backed the Israeli claim that Palestinians were responsible for the attack on al-Ahli al-Arab hospital in Gaza. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has rejected as baseless the claim.

On the eve of the US president's visit to Israel, Hamas has accused Joe Biden of falling “for the Israeli narrative," calling the United States "a culprit in this war against our people."

The head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) has arrived in Israel to meet with the Israeli military chief of staff, according to a CENTCOM statement.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered that roughly 2,000 American troops prepare for a potential deployment to Israel to help with tasks like medical and logistical support, according to multiple defense officials.

Citing unnamed defence officials, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the US military has earmarked approximately 2,000 servicemembers for a potential deployment to Israel.

The Iranian foreign minister has warned “the unlimited US support for Israel’s ongoing crimes” in Gaza will further exacerbate the situation, adding there are concerns that the war will spill over in the region and new fronts will open.

The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to “deter any actor” looking to escalate or widen the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the administration of US President Joe Biden has announced.

The administration of US President Joe Biden may ask the Congress to approve additional funding to better support Israel and Ukraine at the same time, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has stated.

A leading Arab American rights group sued the US government and called on a federal court to halt any further actions admitting Israel into the visa waiver programme (VWP). It stressed that Tel Aviv is not eligible for entry because it is discriminating against Palestinian Americans.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed confidence that a “historic” US-brokered deal to establish formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia can be reached, as the Israeli prime minister held talks with US President Joe Biden.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he plans to discuss the issue of Iran during his meeting with US President Joe Biden in the upcoming days. He made the remarks before departing for the United States, according to the government press office.

US President Joe Biden will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations headquarters next week, after pushing back efforts by the Israeli prime minister to score an Oval Office meeting, according to a new report.

The United States complained to Israel this weekend about Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's decision to publicly reveal a secret meeting with his Libyan counterpart Najla al-Mangoush, Axios has reported, citing Israeli and US officials.

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has accused the US of "hypocrisy" after Washington condemned one of his colleagues for asserting Jewish supremacy in the occupied Palestinian territories.

A delegation of the US House Democrats will visit Israel and the occupied West Bank this week to discuss prospects for a two-state solution, Israel's judicial reforms and Iran nuclear program, among other issues.

The US State Department announced that Washington will continue to provide aid to Israel, even as the Knesset passed controversial legislation resulting in increased political control over the judiciary.

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has introduced new bill aimed at strengthening normalisation with Israel through proposals with nearly $120m in funding, naming Saudi Arabia as a "key regional partner" that would be eligible for many of those programmes.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog may not be an ally to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or an official part of the Israeli government, but as a representative of Israel, he is complicit in the occupation of and discrimination against Palestinians. This is the message from several progressive Jewish American groups to US politicians as Herzog visits Washington.