The Biden administration is set to approve the sale of as roughly 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal slated to be worth over $18 billion, as reported by CNN.
This transaction would be the largest United States foreign military sale to Israel since October 7, with the administration also preparing to notify Congress of the sale of precision-guided munitions kits to Israel, according to these sources.
The sale of this sophisticated weaponry underscores the extent to which the US maintains its military support to Israel, even as Biden administration officials criticize Israel’s operations in Gaza.
The sale is likely to be heavily debated in Congress, particularly by members of the Biden’s own party. The US weapons sales to Israel have come under intense scrutiny recently, with Democratic lawmakers calling for limiting military aid to Israeli until it allows more humanitarian aid into Gaza and does more to protect Palestinian civilians.
Since the onset of Israel’s assault on Gaza, the US has engaged in more than 100 foreign military sales to Israel. Most of these transactions fall under the specific monetary amount that requires a notification to Congress, an official familiar with the matter previously told CNN.
But an $18 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets is large enough to require congressional notification. The administration informally notified the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees of the sale in late January, according to two of the people familiar with the matter.
