US President Joe Biden will spend $8bn on an arms shipment to Israel. According to the US State Department, it is going to sell $8bn (£6.4bn) of arms to Israel. The weapons shipment has to be cleared by the House and Senate committees. It includes missiles, shells, and other munitions.
This is after President Joe Biden said that he would retire in less than two weeks.
Washington refused to blink on holding talks about a suspension of military aid to Israel even as the Gaza war came in for sharp attacks for killing far too many civilians.
Last month, the United States approved the sale of $20 billion in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel. The shipment, according to a US official, includes air-to-air missiles, Hellfire missiles, artillery shells, and bombs.
The president made clear Israel has a right, consistent with international law and international humanitarian law, to defend its citizens, including to deter acts of aggression by Iran and its proxy organizations, added a source familiar with the matter.
"We will continue to provide the capabilities necessary for Israel's defense, continued the source."
Biden has repeatedly told the American Jewish community that his support for Israel is "iron-clad.
The biggest weapons provider for Israel is the US, which has assisted in building one of the world's most advanced militaries.
From SIPRI figures, between 2019 and 2023, the US accounted for 69% of Israel's imports of major conventional arms.
The US confirmed in May 2024 that it had blocked one shipment of 2,000lb and 500lb bombs amid concerns that Israel was to carry out a massive land incursion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Instant condemnation from Republicans in Washington and Netanyahu came for Biden, which appeared to draw parallels to an "arms embargo". Since then, partial relaxation of the blockage has been witnessed in terms of Biden not invoking the embargo again.
The planned shipment is one of several moves the Biden administration has made in the last weeks, and the outgoing president is trying to boost it to enhance his legacy.
It is also likely to be the last planned arms sale for Israel before outgoing President Joe Biden vacates the White House on 20 January 2025, when Donald Trump is sworn in as his successor.
The president-elect has spoken about ending foreign conflicts and reducing the involvement of the US in those countries, which includes his re-election bid.
He presented himself as a staunch supporter of Israel but encouraged the American ally to bring the military operation in Gaza to a quick end.
In response to the unprecedented attack on southern Israel by the Hamas group on 7 October 2023, where around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage, Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas.
Over 45,580 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
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What was Joe Biden known for?
Joe Biden is one of the most prominent personalities who, on January 20, 2021, took the position as the 46th President of the United States. Joe Biden served as the 47th Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017, under President Barack Obama. Joe Biden has had a long career in politics by being a U.S. Senator for 36 years in Delaware. He is also known for his input into foreign policy, especially in his vice presidency, and his efforts after he is elected President concerning passing key legislative initiatives like the Affordable Care Act.He further highlighted himself through the leadership of the COVID-19 pandemic by vaccination, economic relief packages, and national recovery. He is an activist on climate change, healthcare reform, and social justice. His presidency marks a return to the traditional political leadership style compared to that of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
What happened when Biden was president?
The Joe Biden presidency was surely full of events, challenges, and even milestones. One of the very first things he did was confront the continued COVID-19 pandemic. His administration implemented an enormous vaccination campaign that vaccinated millions of Americans to try and get the country back to at least a semblance of normalcy.He also signed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan, which sent relief checks to families and extended unemployment benefits. It felt like the government was really trying to step up and support people during tough times. On the international stage, Biden sought to restore alliances and re-engage with global organizations, reversing some of the isolationist policies from the previous administration. Let me share a personal story.
I consider the Biden situation to be that first change to our lives we experienced which definitely matters in making significant changes to daily life. She was vaccinated early with efforts made towards this national vaccination project, so now she felt highly peaceful, just like I feel economically relieved. I did it during the checks issued for all those times because of him as well. It wasn't a fortune, but it helped us pay off some bills and even gave us a chance to take a small weekend getaway, something we hadn't done since the pandemic started.
I remember talking to my neighbor, a veteran, who benefited from the expanded child tax credit. He said it was a lifesaver for his family. On a personal note, what drew me into having solar panels on our roof were the climate initiatives that Biden worked on. I felt it was a small thing, but in my head, I thought of it as belonging to something more significant. In my family's case, at times it looked like things would get right as the challenges under the presidency of Biden started gaining momentum.
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