US plans to sell $8 billion in weapons to Israel

According to CNN on January 4, a familiar source said that the US State Department sent the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee an informal notice of the arms sale on January 3 - the first day of the new Congress and just a few weeks before President Joe Biden's administration leaves office.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024 criticized the Biden administration for not sending weapons to Israel — a claim a Biden envoy called “completely false.”

Israel continues to face accusations from human rights groups of violations of international law, including the use of US weapons in its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands of people have been killed.

In May 2024, the US State Department said it “reasonably assessed” that US weapons had been used by Israeli forces in Gaza in ways “inconsistent” with international humanitarian law, but stopped short of formally declaring Israel had violated the law.

The proposed sale includes AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for use against airborne threats, as well as drones. It also includes artillery shells; AGM-114 Hellfire missiles; small diameter bombs (SDB); 500-pound warheads; and FMU-152A/B bomb fuses, according to US officials.

The official also said the purpose of this sale is to "support Israel's long-term security by providing vital ammunition and air defense capabilities."

"The president has made it clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens, consistent with international law and international humanitarian law, and to deter attacks from Iran and its proxies," the source told CNN. "We will continue to provide the necessary capabilities to defend Israel."

The official also noted that some production and deliveries could be made through existing US stockpiles, but “the majority would take more than a year to several years to deliver.”

An informal notification process is a common practice, whereby relevant congressional committees are notified in advance of planned sales, allowing committee leadership to raise concerns, provide input, or uphold a decision.