US proposes sale of aircraft and bombs to Israel

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller answered questions during a daily press briefing regarding the Biden administration's approval in recent weeks of the sale of new fighter jets and unguided bombs to Israel.

Noting that the US fundamentally supports Israel's security and will continue to do so, Miller stated that they provide 3.3 billion dollars in annual military aid and that there are numerous arms sale approvals that were made with Tel Aviv long ago.

Miller claimed that the sale approvals for the F-35s and the MK-84 and MK-82 unguided bombs were made in the past, and because the notifications had already been issued, they were not required to make separate announcements to Congress and the public each time. Noting that this was "a routine practice," Miller argued that it had no connection to the attacks in Gaza.

When asked whether it was a coincidence that the sale approvals for these weapons coincided with this period, Miller responded only by saying, "I am not saying it is a coincidence. Israel is currently in an active military conflict, and when you are in that situation, you deplete your military stocks."

The US spokesperson, who did not respond to a question about whether there had been a recent request from Israel for new weapons purchases, did not comment on reports that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had requested new weapons during his recent visit to Washington.

On the other hand, while responding to a reporter's question asking, "Are 900-kilogram bombs for defensive purposes?" Miller argued that Israel uses them or adds them to its inventory "for defensive purposes" against threats such as Iran, Hezbollah, and similar entities, and "in accordance with international law."

Stating that they have told their Israeli counterparts many times that too many civilians have been killed in Israel's military "operations" and that this is an important issue, Miller said, "We tell Israel that they need to do better in their military operations and that they need to take into account minimizing civilian casualties."

News Source: 12punto