Biden “informally” notifies Congress of an arms deal with Israel for 7.8 billion euros, according to Axios

MADRID Jan. 4 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has “informally” notified Congress of an agreement with Israel worth $8 billion (about €7.8 billion), which includes ammunition for fighter jets and attack helicopters, as well as artillery shells, according to sources close to the matter cited by Axios.

The notification, which was sent this Friday, was made just before the Biden Administration ends its mandate on January 20 and amid claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who maintains that Biden had imposed a “silent embargo.” of weapons to Israel.

According to sources, the agreement is long-term and part of the production and delivery of the ammunition can be done with current US stocks, although most supplies will take one or more years to be delivered.

The package includes AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for air defense of fighter aircraft, 155mm artillery shells and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for attack helicopters. Also included are small diameter bombs, JDAM kits to convert conventional bombs to precision munitions, 500-pound warheads, and bomb fuzes.

According to the aforementioned news portal Axios, a US official has stated: “The president has made clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens, in accordance with International Law and International Humanitarian Law, and to deter aggression by Iran and its allied organizations. We will continue to provide the capabilities necessary for the defense of Israel.”

More than 45,650 people have died in the Gaza Strip due to the military offensive launched by Israel in response to the attacks of October 7, 2023, according to the new balance published this Friday by the Gaza Ministry of Health, which puts the number of victims at 77. fatalities and 145 injuries registered in the last 24 hours.

The Israeli Army launched its offensive against Gaza after the aforementioned attacks, carried out by Hamas and other Palestinian groups, which left nearly 1,200 dead and about 250 kidnapped.