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The Biden administration has told Congress that it intends to move forward with a plan for the United States to sell more than $1 billion in new weapons to Israel, according to three congressional aides familiar with the deal.
The notification of the sale, which would include new tactical vehicles and ammunition, comes as President Biden has withheld a shipment of bombs to Israel, hoping to prevent American-made weapons from being used in a possible invasion of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza. Last week, Biden said he would block the delivery of weapons such as bombs and missiles that could be fired into the densely populated area where more than a million Palestinians are sheltered.
The potential arms transfer illustrated the narrow path the Biden administration is treading with Israel, trying to avoid an attack on Rafah and limit civilian casualties in Gaza but continuing to provide for an old ally that the president says has the right to defend itself. . A congressional aide said Congress had been aware of the arms deal for months and suggested the administration had simply waited for a foreign aid package to be approved with more aid for Israel before moving forward with the required notification process. to Congress.
When asked about the package, which was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal, the State Department referred to recent comments by Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, citing a continued commitment to providing Israel with military assistance. to defend against threats in the region.
“The president made it clear that he would not provide certain offensive weapons for such an operation, should it occur,” Sullivan said. βIt hasn’t happened yet. And we are still working with Israel to find a better way to ensure the defeat of Hamas in all parts of Gaza, including Rafah.β
The administration has been pushing for a ceasefire deal in which Hamas would release at least some of the hostages it took on Oct. 7, when it attacked Israel and started the war. But Qatar’s prime minister, a key player in the talks, said on Tuesday they were “almost at a stalemate.”
Biden initially embraced Israel after the Oct. 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people, but has found himself increasingly at odds with its conduct of the war, which has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to officials. sanitary there. .
Still, even as he threatened to withhold additional weapons last week, he made clear that the United States would supply weapons to ensure its ally’s security, including for its Iron Dome missile defense system and for its “ability to respond to attacks” such as the one Iran launched in April.
The State Department’s informal notification of the arms transfer to the required congressional committees begins a multi-step process for top foreign affairs lawmakers to informally consider the terms of the arms transfer and deliberate with the department in private. Congress as a whole will then consider the package.
Eduardo Wong contributed with reports.