US accelerates weapons delivery to Israel

(MENAFN) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed an order to fast-track the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military aid to Israel, calling President Donald Trump the Jewish state’s strongest ally, according to a statement released on Saturday.

The move is part of the White House’s broader strategy to reinforce Israel’s military capabilities as tensions in the region persist. Since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, his administration has reportedly approved nearly $12 billion in major arms sales to West Jerusalem.

“This critical decision comes as President Trump repeals a Biden-era policy that imposed unjustified and politically motivated restrictions on military aid to Israel, even as our key ally was fighting for survival against Iran and terror proxies,” Rubio stated.

On Friday, the Pentagon announced that the State Department had approved a nearly $3 billion weapons package for Israel, including bombs, demolition kits, and other military equipment. The approval bypassed the usual congressional review process, marking the second recent instance of expedited US arms sales to Israel amid a fragile ceasefire with Hamas. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 1,700 Israeli and 62,000 Palestinian casualties.

The United States is Israel’s largest arms supplier, accounting for more than two-thirds of its weapons imports. According to the Costs of War Project at Brown University, the US provided $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel between October 2023 and October 2024.

Last February, former President Joe Biden ordered the Pentagon and State Department to obtain assurances regarding Israel’s use of US-supplied weapons in Gaza. However, the resulting report indicated that the nature of the conflict made it difficult to assess whether American arms were responsible for civilian casualties.

In May, Biden temporarily halted the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, warning that further shipments could be suspended if the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) proceeded with an invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. Despite this, the IDF advanced into the city, and Biden later lifted the arms freeze.

The State Department has praised the decision to reverse Biden’s partial arms embargo, calling it a clear demonstration that "Israel has no greater ally in the White House than President Trump." Secretary Rubio invoked emergency powers to accelerate the aid package, citing US national security interests as justification.

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