Biden administration advancing $680 million arms sale to Israel, source says

By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Biden administration is pushing ahead with a $680 million arms sales package to Israel, a U.S. official familiar with the plan said on Wednesday, even as a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has come into effect.

The package, which was first reported by the Financial Times, includes thousands of joint direct attack munition kits (JDAMs) and hundreds of small-diameter bombs, according to the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The news comes less than a day after the ceasefire agreement ended the deadliest confrontation in years between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group, but Israel is still fighting its other arch foe, the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The package follows a $20 billion sale in August of fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel.

Reuters reported in June that Washington, Israel's biggest ally and weapons supplier, has sent Israel more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

In remarks late on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listed the need to replenish weapons stocks as one of the reasons for the ceasefire. "And I say it openly, it is no secret that there have been big delays in weapons and munitions deliveries. These delays will be resolved soon," he said.

The package has been in the works for several months. It was first brought to the congressional committees in September then submitted for review in October, the U.S. official said.

The conversations about the sale had been going on even as a group of progressive U.S. senators including Bernie Sanders introduced resolutions to block the sale of some U.S. weapons to Israel over concerns about the humanitarian catastrophe faced by Palestinians in Gaza.

The legislation was shot down last week in the Senate. It was likely the last chance to stop any weapons sales before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

Biden has strongly backed Israel since Hamas-led gunmen attacked in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Most of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people has been displaced and the enclave is at risk of famine, more than a year into Israel's war against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave. Gaza health officials say more than 43,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive.

U.S. law requires Congress to be notified of major foreign military sales agreements. An informal review process allows the Democratic and Republican leaders of foreign affairs committees to vet such agreements before a formal notification to Congress.

A State Department spokesperson declined to confirm the sale but said U.S. support for Israel’s security was "unwavering" against all Iran-backed threats, but added that Israel had a moral obligation to protect civilians.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Daniel Wallis)