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US approves $20B weapons sale to Israel as fears grow of wider war in the Middle East

By Steve Janoski

Published Aug. 14, 2024, 1:01 p.m. ET

The United States will move forward with a massive $20 billion arms sale to Israel that will send scores of fighter jets and loads of air-to-air missiles, tank ammunition and other weapons of war to the embattled country — as fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East continue to grow.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the State Department said in a press release announcing the plan.

“This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives.”

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The $20 billion sale will include about 50 F-15 Eagle fighter planes, which are among the fiercest interceptors in the sky.via REUTERS

Unfortunately for Israel, the weapons won’t arrive anytime soon — it will likely take years to fill the contracts, and the soonest the country can expect new weapons systems is 2026.

Instead, the move is a long-term investment intended to help Israel secure itself and expand its military capabilities far into the future.

Among the armaments to be sent overseas are 50 F-15 Eagle fighter planes; advanced, medium-range air-to-air missiles known as “AMRAAMs”; tactical vehicles; and high-explosive mortars.Explore

The F-15s and associated equipment cost nearly $19 billion, while the tank cartridges are worth roughly $775 million and the vehicles cost about $583 million.

The F-15s will take years to make, and aren’t expected to reach the Middle East until 2029.

In a post on X, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant thanked American officials for their commitment to Israel — and for helping his country maintain “its qualitative military edge in the region.”

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Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, July 24, 2024.AP

“As we fight to defend Israel on 7 different fronts, your message[s] of support and commitment to Israel’s security are clear,” he wrote.

It comes after the Biden-Harris administration halted at least one shipment of weapons to Israel out of apprehension over how it would be used in Gaza.

The administration has had to balance its support for Israel with a public outcry over the ever-growing amount of dead civilians in Gaza, which Israel invaded after Hamas’ sneak attack last October.

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The weapons won’t start arriving until 2026 at the earliest.REUTERS

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The arms sale includes tons of tank ammunition as well.ZUMAPRESS.com

Since the start of the war, the US has sent Israel more than 10,000 extraordinarily destructive 2,000-pound bombs, as well as thousands of Hellfire missiles.

But recently, the administration halted a delivery of 2,000-pound weapons because of Israelis’ airstrikes in the densely populated civilian enclave.

With Post wires

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