Israeli warplanes pound Hamas tunnels as conflict enters second week
Israeli warplanes launched a fresh round of massive airstrikes in Gaza on Monday as the most serious conflict in years entered a second week and international calls for a ceasefire mounted.
Dozens of Israeli jets bombed more than nine miles of Hamas’ tunnel system in Gaza overnight and targeted nine residences Monday that the Israeli military said belonged to commanders from the Palestinian militant group.
Israel’s military said it had struck more targets in Gaza in the past week than it did in all of 2020. About 3,150 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israeli territory since last Monday, though the Israeli military said many had either fallen short or been intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system.
The Biden administration notified Congress of a proposed US weapons sale to Israel worth $735 million earlier this month, according to two sources familiar with the notification.
Biden administration notified Congress of $735 million weapons sale to Israel earlier this month, before violence began
The Biden administration notified Congress of a proposed US weapons sale to Israel worth $735 million earlier this month, according to two sources familiar with the notification.
The sale of the precision-guided weapons, which the administration approved before the latest outbreak of violence between Hamas and the Israeli government, is now being reviewed by Congress as concerns grow among progressive Democrats about the Biden administration remaining adamant that Israel has a right to defend itself from rocket attacks from Hamas.
Israel has been the largest recipient of US foreign assistance since World War II and this sale is one small part of overall US military support. The US pledged to provide $38 billion in military aid to Israel from 2019 to 2028 in an agreement between the two countries in 2016.