The Biden administration has asked Congress to approve the sale of 45,<> shells to Israel's Merkava tanks so it can use them in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to a report published Friday evening by Reuters.
According to the report, based on current and former U.S. officials, the request was made despite growing concern among members of Congress about the rise in the use of American-made weapons in the war, which health officials in Gaza say has killed thousands of people since the outbreak of the Iron Sword War.
Tanks surround the Indonesian hospital in Gaza // Photo: Arab networks
The deal, valued at more than $500 million, is not part of the $110.5 billion the U.S. government wants to transfer in aid to Israel and Ukraine. Now, it's up to the U.S. Senate and House Foreign Relations Committee, which must review the request through a review process during which committee members can stop the sale or hold discussions with the administration about it.
Still, the State Department is pressuring the committees to quickly approve the request so the U.S. can make the sale as soon as possible, Josh Paul, a former State Department spokesman, told Reuters. "The request was referred to the committees earlier this week, and they now have 20 days to consider it. The State Department is pressuring them to approve it now," he said.
Merkava tank near the Gaza Strip, in October,
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