US plans to send arms to Israel amid Biden's push for ceasefire: Report

The US is planning to send bombs and other weapons to Israel to boost the country’s military arsenal as it wages a war against Hamas in Gaza. The transfer of weapons comes amid President Joe Biden’s push for a ceasefire in Gaza.

As per a report by the Wall Street Journal, the US Embassy in Jerusalem drafted an assessment of arms to be transferred which said that the Israeli government requested “rapid acquisition of these items for the defense of Israel against continued and emerging regional threats.”

On Friday, Biden said that in recent days he has had extensive talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where the former pushed for a temporary ceasefire.

“I’ve had extensive conversations with the prime minister of Israel over the last several days, almost an hour each, and I’ve made the case, and I feel very strongly about it, that there has to be a temporary ceasefire to get the prisoners out, to get the hostages out,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

Meanwhile, Israel is preparing to expand its counteroffensive into the city of Rafah in southern Gaza citing the presence of Hamas leaders who are hiding among civilians and have fled from other areas of the Strip.

What is US planning to send?

The proposed arms delivery includes a thousand each of MK-82 bombs and KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions that add precision guidance to bombs, and FMU-139 bomb fuses.

The WSJ report says that the arms are estimated to be tens of millions of dollars.

The proposed delivery is still being internally reviewed by the administration, the report added, citing a U.S. official, who said the details of the proposal could change before the administration notifies congressional committee leaders who would need to approve the transfer.

‘No human rights concern’

The assessment drafted by the US Embassy in Jerusalem says that the transfer of weapons does not violate human rights.

“Israel takes effective action to prevent gross violations of human rights and to hold security forces responsible that violate those rights. In the past, Israel has been a transparent partner in US investigations into allegations of defense article misuse,” the assessment says.

The Biden administration has faced criticism for continuing to supply arms to Israel as allegations pile up that American-made weapons have been used in strikes that have killed or injured civilians.

With inputs from agencies