Reports from local media suggest that the United States is gearing up for a substantial arms shipment to Israel, valued at over $1 billion. Sources, requesting anonymity, disclosed to the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration has officially briefed Congress on the matter.
The proposed package, according to the report, includes military hardware such as tank ammunition, tactical vehicles, and mortar shells. The congressional authorization process, though still in its infancy, has been initiated, according to further reports from US media such as CNN.
Recent developments, however, saw the shipment of heavy bombs to Israel put on hold over concerns on the actions of the Israelis in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. President Biden had a stern message for the Israeli authorities—that he would reconsider future arms shipments from the US if it launched offensive operations in the city, which has many internally displaced people from other parts of Gaza.
The White House later clarified that aid to Israel would be maintained, but only the shipment of certain types of munitions would be suspended. So far, Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, had been quick to reassure the Israeli public that Washington would continue to supply Israel with military aid, reiterating the strong cooperation between the two countries.
Questioned for a reaction on the actions by the Israelis in the area of Rafah, the press secretary for Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre, revealed that the administration had gotten confirmation that the operation by the Israeli military was small and not a large-scale ground offensive in the area.
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