(WASHINGTON) The Biden administration will send more than $1 billion worth of weapons and ammunition to Israel, three US congressional aides said Tuesday.
It was the first arms shipment announced by the US president to Israel since earlier this month he halted another arms transfer involving 3,500 bombs. The Biden administration said it was suspending an operation to prevent Israel from using bombs as part of its growing offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Congressional aides spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the weapons transfer, which has not yet been made public.
The haul included about 700 million tanks of ammunition, 500 million tactical vehicles and 60 million mortar rounds, according to the collaborators. There was no immediate indication of when the weapons would be sent.
The Wall Street Journal The media was the first to break the news.
House Republicans plan to introduce a bill this week that would mandate the supply of offensive weapons to Israel. Following Joe Biden’s decision last week to halt the delivery of the bomb, Republicans condemned it, arguing it represented the abandonment of America’s closest ally in the Middle East.
The White House said Tuesday that the president would veto the bill if it passed Congress. However, he has no chance in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. But House Democrats are somewhat divided on the issue. About two dozen people signed a letter to the Biden administration, saying they were “deeply concerned about the message” sent by the bomb shipment disruption.
New York Rep. Richie Torres, one of the letter’s signatories, said he might vote in favor of the bill, despite opposition from the White House.
“As a general rule, I support pro-Israel legislation, unless it involves a poison pill — like domestic policy cuts,” he said.
In addition to the written veto threat, the White House has been in contact with various lawmakers and congressional aides about the legislation, an administration official said.
“We strongly oppose efforts to limit the president’s ability to provide U.S. defense assistance consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives,” Trump’s spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, said this week at the White House.
