The US Department of State has notified Congress of an $8 billion (£6.4 billion) arms sale to Israel, an American official confirmed to the BBC. The shipment, which requires approval from House and Senate committees, includes air-to-air missiles, Hellfire missiles, artillery shells, and other munitions.
This decision comes less than three weeks before President Joe Biden leaves office, reinforcing his administration’s stance on Israel’s right to self-defense. A source familiar with the deal emphasized the need to deter aggression from Iran and its proxies, aligning with Biden’s “iron-clad” support for Israel.
The US remains Israel’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 69% of its conventional weapons imports between 2019 and 2023, according to SIPRI. Earlier, a $20 billion military package, including fighter jets, was approved in August 2024.
While Biden faced criticism for briefly pausing a bomb shipment in May 2024 due to concerns about a major ground operation in Gaza, the suspension was partially lifted. The latest deal appears to be one of Biden’s final efforts to cement his legacy before Donald Trump assumes office on January 20, 2025.
Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, has urged the country to conclude its military operations in Gaza swiftly. The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on southern Israel, has claimed over 45,580 lives in Gaza, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry.
