The US State Department has informed Congress of an $8 billion arms sale to Israel, confirmed by an American official.
The proposed shipment, which requires approval from both the House and Senate committees, includes air-to-air missiles, Hellfire missiles, artillery shells, and bombs.
This move comes just before President Joe Biden’s departure from office. Despite calls to halt military support for Israel due to civilian casualties in Gaza, the US has remained firm in its stance.
In August, the US also approved a $20 billion sale of fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel.
A US official stated that the arms sale reflects Biden’s position that Israel has the right to defend its citizens in accordance with international law and to deter threats from Iran and its proxies.
The US has long been Israel’s largest supplier of arms, with a significant majority of Israel’s major arms imports coming from the US between 2019 and 2023.
Israel initiated a military campaign to dismantle Hamas following an unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages taken. Since then, over 45,580 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
