US approves $680 million arms sale to Israel

Aircraft bomb with JDAM kit. Source: Повітряні сили Ізраїлю

US President Joe Biden has preliminarily approved the sale of weapons, including JDAM bombs, to Israel for $680 million.

Here's What We Know

According to the Financial Times, disclosures of planned arms sales, which can be challenged by Congress, usually occur before the deal is publicly announced. The sale includes JDAM precision-guided air bombs and other aircraft weapons.

The sale, previously unknown, comes at a time when Israel and Hezbollah have entered into a US-brokered truce. Netanyahu has said that replenishing weapons stockpiles is one of the three main reasons for the ceasefire. He also noted that a pause in the fighting would give Israeli forces the opportunity to rest and replenish their supplies.

F-16I Sufa. Illustration: Creative Commons

At the same time, US officials have denied that there is a direct link between the ceasefire agreement and the approval of the latest arms transfers. Although the ceasefire includes a cover letter from the US to Israel, which states that it supports Israel's freedom of action, experts say it does not contain any guarantees for arms sales.

In late October, it was reported that the US confirmed the deployment of the THAAD missile defence system in Israel.

Source: FT