“DGiven the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken notified Congress of the existence of an emergency that required “immediate approval of the transfer,” a cabinet spokesperson told reporters.
Blinken authorized the sale of various equipment needed to operate the 155mm projectiles previously purchased by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This “emergency” qualification means that the sale is not subject to approval by lawmakers, as is usual in cases of arms transfers to foreign countries.
Blinken made a similar decision on December 9 to authorize the sale of 155mm projectiles.
For months, the US government has been asking Congress to approve a military aid package that includes 61 billion dollars (55 billion euros) for Ukraine and around 15 billion (13.6 billion euros) for Israel.
This is despite the White House’s increasingly critical stance regarding the high number of civilian victims in the conflict between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas.
On October 7, Hamas commandos launched a terrorist attack on Israeli soil, during which they killed 1,139 people, most of them civilians, according to the most recent report from Israeli authorities.
Around 250 people were also kidnapped that day and taken to Gaza, 129 of whom are still held captive by the movement, in power in the Palestinian enclave since 2007.
Israel declared war on Hamas and more than 21,500 people have died in bombings in the Gaza Strip, most of them civilians, Hamas said.
Read Also: Palestinian Authority welcomes South African accusation of genocide in Gaza
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2470795/israel-casa-branca-aprova-venda-de-armamento-sem-passar-pelo-congresso
