Biden admin set to approve $18bln F-15 jets sale to 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: CNN
1 Apr 2024 23:09
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Sources tell CNN that the United States is set to sign its largest sale of military equipment to "Israel" since the war on Gaza was launched.

An Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle fighter jet takes off from the "Tel Nof" Airbase to strike the Gaza Strip, in occupied Palestinian '48 territories, on November 19, 2012. (AP)

The United States is edging closer to approving the sale of an estimated 50 US-made F-15 fighter jets to the Israeli occupation forces, unnamed sources told CNN.

The deal is expected to be worth more than $18 billion and would be the largest US foreign military sale to "Israel" since the occupation launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

Joe Biden's administration is also expected to notify Congress of a large new sale of precision-guided munition kits to "Israel", which it has used to target civilian infrastructure in West Asia and commit its malicious assassination plots.

The F-15 deal requires congressional notification, according to CNN. The American broadcaster said that the Biden administration did informally notify the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees of the F-15 sale in late January.

It is worth noting that the Israeli Air Force currently owns and operates 86 F-15 fighter jets.

US intel sharing with 'Israel' deepens its complicity in war crimes

In the context of the US' unconditioned aid to "Israel", according to anonymous sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, a confidential memorandum that increased intelligence cooperation with "Israel" was issued following October 7. Sources are concerned that there is a lack of control over whether US-supplied intel is being used in attacks that target civilians.

The memorandum was issued immediately after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, US sources reported. Although the current administration issued NSM-20, a document that represents a global policy allegedly aimed at strengthening safeguards and accountability for arms transfers, there has been no such issue with intelligence.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari divulged recently that in 30 years of his military career, he had now seen "unprecedented levels" of intelligence sharing. US officials told WSJ that intelligence is focused on locating Hamas leaders, finding Israeli captives, and watching "Israel's borders", sharing only "raw intelligence" like live video feeds from drones flying over Gaza.

"Unwavering" US military support to the Gaza Strip comes in blatant contradiction to the Biden administration's supposed opposition to the actions of the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government decision and the Israeli attacks that targeted civilians. The sale of 50 F-15 fighter jets to the Israeli occupation's Air Force only underscores the US' fake disapproval of Israeli operations, as the Air Force itself has been a cause of a major part of Gaza's destruction and the killing of its people.