US approves $20bn arms sales to Israel amid Gaza war

In a statement, the Pentagon said, “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives.”

The Pentagon confirmed that Blinken approved the potential sale of F-15 jets and related equipment worth nearly $19 billion. Additionally, he approved the possible sale of tank cartridges valued at approximately $774m and army vehicles worth $583m.

The tank rounds would be almost immediately available for delivery.

This multibillion-dollar package is the latest in a series of arms deals that Israel is set to receive from the US, adding to the $14bn in additional military aid approved earlier this year.

The sale comes amid mounting criticism of the Joe Biden administration for continuing to authorise arms transfers to Israel despite the death toll in Gaza approaching more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began last October, Israeli forces have destroyed much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, mosques, and UN shelters.

Over the past ten months, the Biden administration has transferred hundreds of millions of dollars worth of arms and munitions to Israel.

The weapons sales to Israel come despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on the grounds of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Gallant and Netanyahu face war crimes and crimes against humanity charges over the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare; wilfully causing great suffering; wilful killing; intentional attacks on a civilian population and extermination, alongside several other charges.

Even as the US continues to pump billions worth of weapons to Israel, Tel Aviv increasingly boasts record sales from its weapons industry internationally.

Israel’s defence ministry announced in June that its arms exports for 2023 hit a record in sales.

The report by the defence ministry said that the total exports of Israeli arms reached $13.1bn in 2022, an increase of $500m from the previous year and double the amount of exports from five years ago.

More than a third of the sales comprised missiles, rockets and air-defence systems, with one of the biggest contracts of 2023 being with Germany, which signed a deal to purchase the Arrow 3 long-range air defence system for around $4bn.

“While our industries are primarily focused on providing the defence establishment with the capabilities to support our troops and defend our citizens, they are also continuing to pursue areas of cooperation and exports to international partners,” Israeli Defence Minister Gallant stated in a statement.

Roughly half, 48 percent, of all sales, went to the Asia and Pacific region, while Europe accounted for 35 percent of sales, and North America accounted for nine percent.