On Thursday, October 3rd, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul sent a letter to President Biden urging him to expedite the delivery of weapons to Israel, including multiple 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) heavy bombs that have been delayed for humanitarian reasons.
In his letter, Republican Federal Congressman Michael McCaul urged, “I urge you to take action today to ensure the swift delivery of weapons to Israel, including the 2,000-pound bombs, to support our allies.”
As the chairman of the committee responsible for reviewing major U.S. arms sales to foreign countries, McCaul stated in the letter that over a dozen military sales to Israel have been pending for over 4 months without final approval, emphasizing the need for prompt processing.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration suspended the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel out of concerns that these heavy bombs could have a significant impact on densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip.
In his letter, McCaul remarked, “We all hope that Israel won’t need to use these heavy bombs, but operationally they are necessary because Israel’s enemies, including Hamas and Hezbollah, purposefully utilize underground bunkers and tunnels.”
“I urge you to allow these weapons to be immediately transported to Israel, as they are ready for deployment,” the letter stated.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
This letter comes at a time of escalating tensions in the Middle East, heightening concerns about warfare and increasing calls for Washington to provide more assistance to Israel.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing for nearly a year. Following two weeks of intensive airstrikes, Israel has deployed troops to southern Lebanon to combat the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
On Thursday, Israel announced that Hezbollah had fired around 230 shells from Lebanon into Israeli territory.
On October 1st, Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles towards Israel, prompting Israel to vow retaliation. The U.S. is discussing targeting Iran’s oil facilities in response to attacks on Israel.
(This article draws on relevant reports from Reuters.)