Feb 17, 2024
…US plans to send more weapons to Israel: Report
- “Perilous situation” in Rafah in southern Gaza demands immediate implementation of existing provisional measures, says the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
- US President Biden says he hopes Israel “will not make any massive land invasion” on Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering, before a “temporary ceasefire”.
- At least five patients have died after Israel’s incursion into Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital saw electricity and oxygen supplies cut.
- People in Gaza are eating weeds and animal food to stay alive as the UN’s FAO warns of challenges in distributing aid, especially in the north.
- Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed at least 28,775 Palestinians and wounded 68,552 since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas-led attacks stands at 1,139.
US plans to send more weapons to Israel: Report
The United States intends to bolster Israel’s military arsenal even as Washington pushes for a ceasefire in war-torn Gaza.
The Israeli government requested the “rapid acquisition” of tens of millions of dollars worth of weapons from the US, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.
According to unnamed current and former US officials cited, the proposed arms delivery includes about 1,000 each of:
- MK-82 bombs
- KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions to add “precision guidance” to bombs
- FMU-139 bomb fuses
The Biden administration would need congressional committee members to approve the transfer, an official told WSJ, although the administration has bypassed Congress to increase weapons sales to Israel in recent months.
