US preparing to supply arms to Israel despite ceasefire calls

The administration of US President Joe Biden is preparing to deliver a batch of weapons to Israel, including bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits and bomb fuses, despite US calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The amount of weapons to be supplied is worth tens of millions of dollars, the sources said.

On Friday, Biden said he had raised with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza to allow for the withdrawal of the remaining prisoners, adding that he did not expect Israel to attempt a large-scale ground offensive while this initiative was being considered, according to Sputnik.

Israel waged its brutal war on besieged Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out an unprecedented operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 27,585 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 67,000 others.

Israel has imposed a complete siege on the densely populated territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1.

MP/PR