While claiming to be concerned about the consequences of Israel’s offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza, the Biden administration recently quietly approved the shipment of at least 2,300 bombs to Israel, sources tell the Washington Post.
The “package” includes 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, and has a total value of “billions of dollars”, according to Reuters. Last week it also approved the delivery of 25 F-35 fighter jets. The US also provides Israel with about $3.8 billion in annual military aid.
Recently, much of the world has become increasingly critical of Israel’s bombing campaign and invasion of Gaza – with more and more voices saying that what Israel is doing can be considered ethnic cleansing or genocide.
Even within Joe Biden’s own party, there have been calls for military aid to Israel to be cut – or stopped altogether, but this does not appear to be the case. Nor will arms aid to Israel be conditioned in any way.
– We continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself, said one of the sources.
Death toll continues to rise
According to Palestinian officials and human rights groups, at least 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7 – more than 13,000 of them children. 8,000 people are missing and more than 75,000 have been injured.
Meanwhile, almost the entire population of Gaza has been displaced from their homes to the southern border, and the UN and various aid organizations have long warned that large numbers of civilians are at risk of starvation.
Israel, however, continues to claim that it is only attacking military and legitimate targets, and that the high civilian death toll is due to Hamas hiding among the civilian population.
