The administration of outgoing United States President Joe Biden has notified Congress of a planned $8bn arms sale to Israel, according to US media reports, as the ally continues its devastating war on Gaza.
The Department of State sent the foreign affairs committees of the House and the Senate the notification on Friday, US media reported on Saturday, citing unnamed officials.
The weapons will include 500-pound (226kg) warheads, precision-guided munitions, artillery shells, missiles for jets and attack helicopters, and bomb fuses, along with air-to-air missiles to intercept projectiles, the reports said.
Some production and delivery of the munitions can be fulfilled through existing US stock, but the majority is expected to be delivered to Israel over a longer period, according to the US outlets.
In August, Washington approved a separate package worth $20bn, which included jets, military vehicles, bombs and missiles.
In November, the Biden administration approved another $680m arms package to Israel, including small-diameter bombs and precision-guidance kits.
After the US president last year briefly paused the supply of a single shipment of 2,000-pound (907kg) bombs that have caused widespread destruction across Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly blasted him.
Biden has consistently emphasised his commitment to the US ally and its “self-defence” despite mounting criticism over the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said the sale was likely to be approved by Congress.
“We’ve already heard from Mike Johnson, the new Speaker in the House, who said one of his priorities is to make sure Israel, their friend and ally, feels supported by the US. To block it, you’d need two-thirds votes in both houses, and that’s simply not going to happen,” he said.
“The weapons are continuing to be sent to Israel even though a number of Democratic lawmakers have expressed their concerns that the US continues to provide weapons when the Israeli military does not do enough to combat the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” he added.
In addition to warning over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, rights groups have accused Israel of carrying out “acts of genocide” in its war, and Israel has been ordered by the International Court of Justice to take steps to prevent genocide from occurring in the Palestinian territory.
A UN commission of inquiry has accused Israel of carrying out a policy to destroy the healthcare system in Gaza, where some 90 percent of the population has been displaced.
Israel escalates attacks
Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza in recent days, killing more than 100 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The Israeli military on Friday ordered the forced evacuation of staff and patients from two hospitals in northern Gaza under threat of attack, days after its forces stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital and detained its director.
At least 11 people from the same family were killed in the Shujayea neighbourhood in northern Gaza on Saturday.
“At about 2am [00:00 GMT] we were woken up by the sound of a huge explosion,” said Ahmed Ayyan, a neighbour of the al-Ghoula family, adding 14 or 15 people were staying in the house.
“Most of them were women and children, they were all civilians. There is no one there who shot missiles or is from the resistance.”
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 45,717 people have been killed and 108,856 others have been wounded, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The surge of Israeli attacks on Gaza in recent days comes as the Israeli government and Hamas authorised representatives to travel to Qatar for talks on a potential ceasefire and captive and prisoner exchange.
