The Biden administration bypassed Congress for the second time since the beginning of the war in Gaza to sell weapons to Israel, a move that comes amid growing anger from the United States over its support for Israel as the death toll in Gaza rises and the humanitarian tragedy spreads.
The State Department said on Friday it approved a proposed sale of 147.5 million dollars worth of artillery ammunition and related equipment to Israel, citing an emergency provision that avoids the generally required congressional review process for arms sales to other countries. The administration used the same provision this month to facilitate the government's sale of about 13,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel.
That earlier case was the first time the State Department invoked emergency rule for an arms shipment to the Middle East since May 2019, when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a move criticized by lawmakers and some career officials within the State Department.
The State Department has also used emergency rule at least twice since 2022 to rush weapons to Ukraine to defend it against a Russian invasion.
As casualties mount in the war against Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced increasing pressure from the United States to reduce the intensity of the conflict in Gaza, but said last week that Israel would "deepen" the fighting in the coming days.
Criticism of the United States is growing as international calls for a ceasefire grow. The UN Security Council this month adopted a resolution calling for more aid to reach civilians in Gaza, but to get support from Washington, it fell short of imposing a ceasefire.
The State Department's move is sure to anger some Democratic lawmakers, who criticized the Biden administration for unconditionally supporting a war in which Israel killed a large number of Palestinian civilians, in the wake of terrorist attacks by Hamas.
Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, asked on social media early on Saturday why the administration would override congressional authority over arms sales to any country.
Bypassing Congress is equal to "keeping the American public in the dark,"he said in a post on platform X.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Friday that Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken provided" a detailed justification to Congress of the existence of an emergency requiring immediate sale " to Israel.
"The United States is committed to Israel's security, and it is vital to American national interests to help Israel develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,"she said. "This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives."
"All countries must use munitions that comply with international humanitarian law,"she added.
Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have killed more than 20,000 people in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
