The U.S. Initiates Arms Sale Agreement to Israel

An American official stated on Wednesday, December 7, that the Biden administration has begun advancing a $680 million arms sale package to Israel following the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. According to this official, the package includes thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits and hundreds of small-diameter bombs. The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a combination of an internal guidance system with a Global Positioning System receiver, which increases targeting accuracy to a range of about 28 kilometers. This arms sale follows a $20 billion package delivered to Israel last August, which included American fighter jets and military equipment. After several months of review, this arms package was presented to congressional committees in September and finalized in October. Under U.S. law, Congress must be informed of large foreign arms sales. The informal review process allows Democratic and Republican leaders of the foreign relations committees to examine these agreements before official notification to Congress. Since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, the United States has sent over 10,000 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in statements released Tuesday night, cited the need to replenish military supplies as one of the reasons for the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, stating, 'It is clear that there has been a significant delay in the delivery of weapons and ammunition. This delay will soon be resolved.'