Three anonymous congressional staff members disclosed on Tuesday that the Biden administration intends to send a new arms consignment to Israel, valued at over $1 billion. The consignment, which has yet to be publicly announced, is the first to be acknowledged by the current administration since they temporarily halted another arms transaction earlier in the month. This consisted of an order for 3,500 bombs that was paused to deter Israel from using them in the escalating conflict in the densely-populated Rafah area of southern Gaza.
The staff said the new consignment comprises approximately $700 million (£556 million) of tank ammunition, $500 million (£397 million) of tactical vehicles, and $60 million (£47 million) of mortar shells. However, the timetable for dispatch has not been disclosed. Currently, Israel’s campaign versus Hamas in Gaza is in its seventh month.
The Wall Street Journal was the initial source to reveal plans for the arms bundle. The GOP in the House is poised this week to push a proposal that requires the dispatch of offensive weaponry to Israel. This follows President Biden’s decision last week to delay shipments of bombs. The move has instigated swift reprimands from Republicans, who argue it signifies an abandonment of the United States’ paramount ally in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, the White House declared that if the proposal were ratified by Congress, Mr Biden would veto it. The proposal has almost no chance of making it past the Democrat-run Senate. Nonetheless, the Democrats in the House are split on the matter, with approximately two dozen issuing a letter to the administration, expressing their grave apprehensions about the implications of delaying the bomb consignment.
Besides the written warning of a potential veto, the White House has also been in contact with various lawmakers and congressional staff regarding the bill, according to an administration source.
Efforts to limit the President’s power to distribute US security aid in line with American foreign policy and national security goals are fervently contested, stated Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, earlier this week. She also noted that the administration aims to allocate all the funding provided by Congress through the national security add-on package, which was enacted into law by Mr Biden the previous month. – Associated Press