The United States has approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, including fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the State Department announced on Tuesday, two days ago. Planned ceasefire Discussions are about to begin in the region.
Parliament has been informed of the impending sale, which has been expected since April, amid strong concerns that Israel might become involved. the wider Middle East war; The package includes up to 50 F-15 fighter jets, up to 30 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, tactical vehicles, and a large number of tank and high-explosive mortar rounds.
However, the weapons are not expected to arrive in Israel anytime soon, or even this year, with delivery dates now ranging from 2026 to 2029. Earlier this year, several lawmakers, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, planned to oppose the sale.
The equipment is intended to maintain and strengthen Israel’s overall long-term defense capabilities, with much of the equipment to be delivered in installments over several years, a State Department official told CBS News. The F-15s, for example, will be manufactured by Boeing and full delivery will take at least 10 years, the official said.
JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images
“The United States is committed to Israel’s security, and assisting Israel in developing and maintaining a strong and responsive self-defense capability is critical to U.S. national interests. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the State Department said in announcing the sale.
The Biden administration Balancing ongoing support The high civilian death toll in Gaza has led to growing calls from lawmakers and the American public to withhold military aid to Israel, giving the U.S. a leg up in Israel’s favor. The U.S. has withheld a single shipment of 2,000 pounds of weapons as Israel continues to bomb civilian-populated areas of Gaza.
The deal includes not only the sale of 50 new Boeing planes, but also upgrade kits for Israel to fit 24 of its existing F-15 fighter jets with new engines and radars. The fighter jets will account for more than $18 billion of the $20 billion in sales.
The sale comes ahead of ceasefire talks on Thursday coordinated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Hamas told CBS News on Tuesday that it would not be attending.But talks will continue as Israel has not received any assurances from negotiators that it will act on Hamas’ July 2 proposal.
“It is our responsibility to our people to stop the slaughter and starvation that the war and occupation are causing to our people, and we are serious about reaching an agreement,” Ahmed Abdel Hadi, the Lebanese representative for Hamas, told CBS News in an Arabic statement.
Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The arms sales announcement came just weeks after Prime Minister Netanyahu took office. Doubled The US claims to be withholding weapons supplies for Israel’s Gaza war, The Biden administration has denied the allegations.
Netanyahu told his cabinet on June 23 that there had been a “dramatic reduction” in U.S. weapons about four months ago, but did not specify which weapons. His comments came just days after he released an English-language video in which he claimed he had been pleading for weeks with U.S. officials to speed up deliveries but had been unsuccessful.
