By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The US is preparing to give $3.5 billion to Israel to purchase American weapons and military equipment from a $14.1 billion supplemental bill approved by Congress in April, an official told Anadolu.
"On Thursday, August 8 the Department notified Congress of our intent to obligate $3.5 billion in FY 2024 Foreign Military Financing using funding provided by the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act," said a State Department spokesperson.
It was first reported by CNN, citing multiple officials familiar with the matter, saying that "it is not unusual for it to take time for money to be released from these packages."
According to CNN, the funding was released this week as Israel and the Middle East are bracing for a potential retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah after Tel Aviv assassinated Hamas’ political chief in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.
The US is facing criticism for providing military aid to Israel, as 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7 due to Israeli bombings, which US President Joe Biden described as "indiscriminate."
Several human rights groups and former State Department officials have urged the Biden administration to suspend arms transfers to Israel, citing violations of international law and human rights.
Twelve former US officials, including former State Department officials Josh Paul, Annelle Sheline, Stacy Gilbert and Hala Rharrit, said in a statement last month that "America’s diplomatic cover for, and continuous flow of arms to Israel has ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of a besieged Palestinian population in Gaza."
A long-awaited report in May said it is “reasonable to assess” that Israel used US-made weapons in ways that are inconsistent with international humanitarian law.
The report stopped short of reaching a definitive conclusion saying it does not have "complete information."