The Biden administration notified Congress of an $8 billion weapons package for Israel, including thousands of bombs, missiles and artillery shells, in one of the largest new arms sales since the war in Gaza began in 2023.The weapons package, which congressional officials received notification of late on Friday afternoon, also includes the planned sale of thousands of bombs, air-to-air missiles and precision munitions, according to U.S. officials familiar with the sale. The new weapons package includes some items that could draw objections from Democrats who have opposed the transfer of large bombs to Israel amid concerns over the civilian toll of the war in Gaza. The proposed sale includes a set of guidance kits designed to be fitted to large MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, as well as BLU-109 bunker buster bombs, one of the officials said. Also included are AMRAAM and Hellfire missiles and 155mm artillery rounds. At least $6.75 billion would fund two different kinds of precision kits, small diameter bombs and 2,000-pound bombs, the officials said. The planned weapons sale, which comes just weeks before President Biden hands over power to President-elect Donald Trump, is the largest the U.S. government has authorized for Israel since the $20 billion weapons package the administration approved in August. Israel was also informed of the move, said an Israeli official, who said that the country expected the weapons to begin arriving in 2025. “We will continue to provide the capabilities necessary for Israel’s defense,” said an administration official familiar with the deal, which still requires congressional approval to move forward. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment. The new weapons package was reported earlier by Axios. Arms sales to Israel have been a troublesome issue for the Biden administration, which organized an airlift of bombs and other munitions to Israel in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The war, which has largely been carried out with U.S.made weapons, has reduced much of the coastal enclave to ruins while thousands of people have struggled with famine-like conditions, according to Palestinian health officials and a United Nations-backed hunger-monitoring mechanism. Some leading Democrats have urged Biden to curb weapons sales to Israel to reduce civilian deaths in Gaza and pressure Netanyahu into accepting a cease-fire that would halt the war and free remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

U.S. Plans Big Arms Sale to Israel

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