The United States has sent Israel tens of thousands of weapons, including bombs and precision-guided missiles, after Hamas’s strikes on October 7. According to current and former US officials, the methods used have concealed the full scope of the government’s military aid to its closest partner in the Middle East.
Axios reports that the White House is looking at the finer details for any potential future shipments of weapons to Israel. US officials insist that the move has nothing to do with recent rumors that the Biden administration may reevaluate its arms shipments to Israel.
Four US officials have spoken out about how President Joe Biden requested records of pending or planned shipments of weapons to Israel from the Pentagon and the State Department.
Government officials have dismissed the action as usual and denied rumors that it is part of a larger strategy to scale down military operations. An official said that the White House had been asked to compare the pending shipments with a prioritized list of weaponry supplied by Jerusalem.
Only two of the more than a hundred weaponry shipments to Israel that the administration oversaw were reported to Congress via the official foreign weapons sales procedure. According to US authorities, these shipments are usually shared with legislators for their review before being made public. Both times, the government used an emergency regulation that did not follow the usual review procedure.
On February 8, Biden sent a national security memorandum to the receiving nations demanding written guarantees that they would utilize military goods in compliance with international humanitarian law and other international laws; this memorandum might affect Israel.
Reportedly, by the middle of March, the Biden administration would want to get an assurance letter from Israel that is signed. By March 25th, Secretary of State Antony Blinken must confirm that Israel has accepted the memorandum’s desired commitment.
Axios reports that the United States would halt the delivery of weapons to Israel until certification is forthcoming.
