The United States government, led by President Joe Biden, reportedly approved the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel, despite concerns about potential civilian casualties in Gaza.
Pentagon and State Department officials disclosed that the arms packages consist of over 1800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, with the former linked to previous significant casualties during Israel’s Gaza military operations.
The information provided is anonymous, as the matter has not been publicly disclosed.
This decision underscores a divergence between the U.S. and Israel over military actions, with the Biden administration refraining from using weapons transfers as leverage to influence Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A White House official reaffirmed support for Israel’s right to self-defense, stating that conditioning aid has not been the policy. Some Democrats, including Biden’s allies, argue for withholding weapons unless Israel commits to minimizing civilian casualties and easing humanitarian aid restrictions in Gaza.
Despite concerns about an upcoming military operation in Rafah, a Hamas stronghold, Israeli officials agreed to reschedule a meeting in Washington to discuss U.S. proposals for reducing bloodshed.
