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[POLITICS] · United States, Israel · 16 sources

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U.S. lawmakers block $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel

Top Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate have placed holds on a $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel. Representative Gregory Meeks of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senator Jeanne Shaheen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee both announced they would not clear the sale at this time.

The proposed munitions package consists of 40,000 one-ton bombs, including 20,000 MK-84s and 20,000 BLU-117s. Meeks cited concerns regarding whether the Israeli government would use the munitions in compliance with international humanitarian law and U.S. law, particularly in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon.

Senator Shaheen expressed frustration that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not addressed Democratic concerns regarding civilian casualties in Gaza, Israeli military actions in Syria, and escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The hold process is typically an informal mechanism used to prompt the State Department to address specific legislative concerns before an arms sale proceeds.

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Benjamin Netanyahu · Gregory Meeks · Hamas · Hezbollah · Israel · Israel Defense Forces · Jeanne Shaheen · Marco Rubio · Pramila Jayapal · United States House of Representatives · United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee

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