US clears $20bn arms sale to Israel

The US State Department has approved more than $20 billion in new arms sales, despite pressure on President Joe Biden's administration to halt weapons deliveries to Israel and push it into ceasefire negotiations with Hamas to stop the bloodshed in Gaza.

In a series of notifications to Congress on Tuesday, the State Department insisted that 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.”

The largest deal, worth about $18.8 billion, includes the sale of 50 new F-15IA fighter jets and the upgrade of 25 F-15I jets already in service with the Israeli Air Force. West Jerusalem also intends to buy Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) for the jets, nearly 33,000 120mm tank cartridges, up to 50,000 high-explosive mortars, and new military cargo vehicles.

The State Department asserted that the proposed sale “will not alter the basic military balance in the region” and will have “no adverse impact on US defense readiness.”

Most of the proposed weapons sales are long-term deals, but the announcement comes amid fears that the ongoing war in Gaza could spill over into a broader Middle East conflict. After the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (who was the militant group’s chief negotiator in indirect Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel) in Iran, and top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut in late July, both Tehran and Hezbollah have threatened retaliation against the Jewish state.

The killings have sparked global concerns of a full-blown war between Iran and Israel. On Monday, the leaders of France, Germany, and the UK jointly called on Iran and its allies “to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions.”

Hostilities broke out after Hamas launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel last October, resulting in the deaths of around 1,100 people and the taking of 200 hostages. The Israeli response has claimed at least 39,800 lives, according to Palestinian health officials.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has reportedly felt increasing pressure from the Biden administration to end the war amid growing international controversy over Israel’s methods of warfare. While it would take years for the newly approved weapons to actually reach Israel, according to Axios, the announcement may help deflect Republican criticism ahead of the elections that the Biden-Harris administration doesn't supply weapons to Israel.