A White House official reaffirmed that US aid to Israel is unconditional
by Dave DeCamp, Antiwar. com, March 31, 2024
The Biden administration has approved billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets for Israel to support the slaughter and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza despite claims from US officials that they’re concerned about the massive civilian casualty rate.
US officials told The Washington Post that the administration approved the transfer of 500 MK82 500-pound bombs and more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs, which Israel has used to kill scores of civilians by dropping them on Gaza’s densely populated cities.
The administration also approved the transfer of 25 F-35 fighter jets to Israel, a deal worth $2.5 billion that’s likely being paid for by US military aid to Israel. US officials said both transfers had been approved by Congress years ago and not fulfilled, so lawmakers were not notified about the final approval.
A White House official confirmed to the Post that US military aid to Israel is still unconditional. “Conditioning aid has not been our policy,” the official said.
News of the weapons transfers came after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Washington to ensure continued US support for Israel’s brutal campaign. While President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appear to be at odds in public, behind the scenes, US support for Israel continues unabated.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that 32,782 Palestinians have been killed and 75,298 have been wounded since October 7. The total of dead includes over 13,000 children. The numbers from Gaza’s Health Ministry are considered low estimates since they don’t take into account the thousands who are missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
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