The Biden administration informally notified congressional committees Tuesday that it planned to move forward with more than $1 billion in weapons deals for Israel, said U.S. officials familiar with the matter, a major transfer of lethal aid that comes a week after the White House paused a single shipment of bombs because of concerns that a planned assault in southern Gaza could cause immense civilian casualties. The arms deals allow for the potential transfer of $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. The decision underscores the administration's reluctance to defy pro-Israel donors in the Democratic Party who criticized Biden's decision last week to withhold the shipment, which included controversial 2,000-pound bombs that have been involved in mass casualty events in Gaza. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/05/14/biden-israel-weapons-gaza-rafah/

Source: Washington Post May 15, 2024 05:41 UTC