- The sale would also include ammunition and training.
- The measure is expected to provoke a heated debate in Congress
- F-15s may not arrive in Israel for several years
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The White House is set to approve an $18 billion arms sale to Israel, including several dozen F-15 fighter jets.
It would be the largest arms sale by Washington to Tel Aviv since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas on October 7.
The sale has been under consideration since the United States received a formal request in January 2023.
Speeding up the delivery was one of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s top requests when he visited Washington last week.
The Biden administration is set to sell several dozen F-15s to Israel as tensions rise in the Middle East.
An Israeli Air Force F-15 fighter jet flies during a display as part of a pilot graduation ceremony at Hatzerim Air Base in southern Israel.
US President Joe Biden is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 18, 2023.
Gallant held talks with U.S. officials, including Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The F-15s need to be built and would not arrive in Israel for several years.
Israel wants to increase its air power not only to fight Hamas but to deter the threat from Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah.
The military package includes a large number of F-15 aircraft, aircraft munitions and support services, training, maintenance and many years of contractor support over the life cycle of the aircraft, which could last up to two decades.
CNN reported that the deal could include up to 50 F-15s.
US law requires Congress to be notified of major foreign military sales deals, and the sale is likely to spark heated debate.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (R) arrives at the US State Department to meet with US officials in Washington, DC, US, on March 25, 2024.
Defense Minister Gallant met with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
It comes at a time when Biden is under pressure from some Democrats to curb support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Washington has publicly expressed concern about Israel’s anticipated military offensive in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip.
Many Palestinians have sought refuge after being displaced due to the nearly six-month-old Israeli attack on Gaza.
Gallup polls show the American public is less supportive of Israeli military action in Gaza than before.
Photo taken on April 1, 2024 shows destroyed buildings near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Destruction in the northern Gaza Strip following Israeli airstrikes, seen from the southern Gaza Strip
Israel launched an offensive in Gaza after the Hamas terrorist group launched a horrific attack on communities in southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 253 hostages.
Washington provides $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to its old ally.
US officials have criticized Israel for the high number of deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
But they have so far resisted calls to put conditions on arms transfers to Israel.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli embassy in Washington on the sale of the F-15s.
Congress can block such arms sales by passing a resolution of disapproval over human rights violations or other concerns.
However, no such resolution has passed or survived a presidential veto.
An informal review process allows Democratic and Republican leaders of the foreign affairs committees to review such agreements before formal notification to Congress.
Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has already given the green light to the sale of the F-15.