US considers selling Israel $18 billion weapons package, including F-15 fighters

The Biden administration is considering selling Israel weapons including 25 Boeing-made F-15 fighter jets, Reuters reported on April 1, citing five sources. The deal has been under consideration since the US received a formal request from Israel in January 2023, long before Israel launched its war in Gaza, according to one of the sources.

A second source said speeding up the delivery of the aircraft was a top request from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a visit to Washington DC last week, where he met with top US officials, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Outraged that Gaza won't stop the US from sending more bombs and stealth planes to Israel

President Biden is facing pressure from foreign partners, human rights groups and some congressional Democrats to impose conditions on arms transfers to curb Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

The earliest the F-15s would be delivered to Israel would be 2029, a US official said, if a formal notification is sent to the US Congress tomorrow (April 2) and processed immediately.

An Israeli F-15 aircraft

Israel is looking to bolster its already formidable fighter fleet not only to continue fighting Hamas in Gaza but also to deter any further threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as from Iran, Israel's longtime rival.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul gave the green light to the F-15 deal on January 30, when congressional offices responsible for approving major arms deals were notified, according to a committee aide.

“There have been discussions between the administration and Congress about the F-15 deal,” another source said, but said some of the four offices required to approve any arms transfer had not yet done so.

US law requires Congress to be notified of major foreign arms deals and allows Congress to block the transactions. An informal process allows foreign affairs committee leaders to review such deals before formally notifying Congress.

Washington has publicly expressed concern about Israel’s planned military effort in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, where many Palestinians have taken refuge after being displaced by the conflict. President Biden has urged Israel not to launch a large-scale attack in Rafah to avoid further civilian casualties.

Reuters reported that Israeli officials agreed on April 1 to consider U.S. concerns about the Rafah strike plan, according to a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting between officials from both sides. The statement said the two-and-a-half-hour meeting ended with plans to hold further in-person talks early next week.

"The US side expressed its concerns with various actions in Rafah. The Israeli side agreed to look into these concerns and to hold discussions among experts," the statement said.

There was no immediate indication that US and Israeli negotiators had reached any agreement on the way forward in Rafah.

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