CNN
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The Biden administration is near approving the sale of as many as 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal anticipated to be price greater than $18 billion, in line with three folks aware of the matter.
The transaction, which might quantity to the most important US overseas navy sale to Israel because the nation went to war with Hamas on October 7, comes because the administration can be anticipated to inform Congress quickly of a giant new sale of precision-guided munitions to Israel, the folks stated.
The brand new gross sales of a few of the US’ most refined weaponry underscore the extent to which the US continues to help Israel militarily, at the same time as Biden administration officers criticize Israel’s operations in Gaza, which have killed greater than 32,000 Palestinians since October, in line with the Gaza ministry of well being.
The sale is more likely to be hotly debated in Congress, notably by members of the president’s personal occasion. US weapons gross sales to Israel have come beneath intense scrutiny in current months and Democratic lawmakers have referred to as for limiting navy assist to Israeli till it permits extra humanitarian assist into Gaza and does extra to guard civilians there.
Since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, the US has made greater than 100 overseas navy gross sales to Israel. Most of these have fallen beneath the particular greenback quantity that requires a notification to Congress, an official aware of the matter beforehand informed CNN.
However an $18 billion F-15 sale is massive sufficient that it requires congressional notification, and the administration informally notified the Home Overseas Affairs and Senate Overseas Relations committees of the F-15 sale in late January, in line with two of the folks aware of the matter.
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