The Trump administration has sought congressional approval to transfer nearly $1 billion in bombs and military equipment to Israel, despite ongoing efforts to maintain a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The report detailed that the proposed sale includes 4,700 1,000-pound bombs valued at over $700 million, as well as armoured bulldozers manufactured by Caterpillar worth more than $300 million.
Major foreign arms sales require congressional approval, with the State Department notifying the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees before moving forward. Both committees must authorise the deal for it to proceed.
This request coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza and broader regional issues.
The US faces criticism for providing military aid to Israel, as more than 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the occupation state’s genocidal bombing campaign on the enclave which began on 7 October 2023.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the US supplied 69 per cent of Israel’s arms from 2019 to 2023, which increased to 78 per cent by December 2023.
By December 2023, the US had delivered over 10,000 tonnes of weapons worth $2.4 billion.
This number grew to 50,000 tonnes by August 2024, transported via hundreds of planes and ships.
As Israel’s biggest ally, Washington has supplied a wide range of advanced military equipment, including missiles for the Iron Dome defence system, precision-guided bombs, CH-53 heavy lift helicopters, AH-64 Apache helicopters, and 155mm artillery shells, along with bunker-busting munitions and armoured vehicles.
Since 1946, the US has provided over $310 billion in military and economic aid to Israel, adjusted for inflation, according to the American think tank, Council on Foreign Relations.
A ten-year $38 billion military aid deal signed in 2016 remains in effect, from which the current request of $1 billion transfer would be drawn from the annual $3.3 billion US military aid package allocated to Israel.
Emergency packages in 2024 added billions more, including $14.1 billion approved in February and a $2.5 billion arms shipment in March.
Several human rights groups, former State Department officials and Democratic lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to halt arms transfers to Israel, citing violations of US laws, including the Leahy Law, as well as international laws and human rights. Israel denies these allegations.
The Leahy Law, named after former Senetor Patrick Leahy, requires the US to withhold military assistance from foreign military or law enforcement units if there is credible evidence of human rights violations.
By 2024, the US had authorised over 100 arms deals for Israel, supporting its missile systems and replenishing stockpiles, despite ongoing scrutiny over the impact on civilian populations in Gaza.
Suing Antony Blinken: The US State Department, Israel and the Leahy Law