US approves $20 billion arms sale to Israel
The United States approved the sale of $20 billion worth of fighter jets and military equipment to Israel on August 13 as the country continues its 10-month war in the Gaza Strip, although the Pentagon said deliveries would not begin for years.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the sale of F-15 jets and equipment worth nearly $19 billion, along with tank ammunition worth $774 million, artillery ammunition worth more than $60 million and military vehicles worth $583 million, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Boeing's F-15 fighters are expected to take years to be produced, with deliveries expected to begin in 2029. Other equipment will begin arriving in 2026, according to the Pentagon.
Some of the devices could be delivered as early as 2026, an expert on the process said.
The Pentagon affirmed: "The United States is committed to Israel's security, and helping Israel develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability is essential to US national interests."
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a post on social network X thanked US officials for helping Israel maintain its "qualitative military edge in the region" as well as the US commitment to Israel's security.
The United States, Israel's biggest ally and main arms supplier, has sent Israel more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles since the start of hostilities in Gaza in October 2023, US officials told Reuters in June.
The war has devastated Gaza and caused massive civilian casualties. In hopes of preventing a wider war in the Middle East, Washington has been trying to broker a ceasefire with other regional mediators.
US President Joe Biden proposed a three-phase ceasefire in Gaza on May 31. But efforts to bring it to fruition have so far been unsuccessful.
The most recent bloodshed in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict began when Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Israel's subsequent offensive on the Hamas-controlled enclave killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, according to the local health authority. It also displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, sparked a famine crisis and led to genocide charges at the International Court of Justice, which Israel denies.
Washington has faced increasing criticism at home and abroad for its military support for Israel.
