Biden admin mulls sale of fighter jets, missiles to Israel: Report

The Biden administration is reportedly exploring a significant sale of weapons to Israel as the country faces international scrutiny over its invasion of the Gaza Strip and reported civilian death toll.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) invaded the coastal region in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas raid that saw its forces seize Israeli border towns, take more than 200 hostages, and kill roughly 1,200 civilians. The barrage has prompted public scrutiny from the Biden administration and the president himself, who has described the effort as "over the top." The Gaza Ministry of Health, a branch of the Hamas-controlled government, has estimated the death toll at close to 32,000.

Despite the public spat with the Israeli government, however, the administration is considering the sale of up to 50 F-15 fighter jets, 30 AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, and an undisclosed number of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, Politico reported, citing "a congressional aide and a person familiar with the discussions."

Collectively, the aircraft alone are worth as much as $18 billion. The sale of the weapons, however, still needs approval from the government and actual delivery may not occur for years.

The reported sale could exacerbate existing backlash from the Democratic Party's progressive wing, which has seen many lawmakers express frustration with Israel's government and float a halt to arms sales if the Israeli advance did not take certain steps to limit civilian casualties.

The Biden administration has witnessed multiple public resignations, moreover, over American support for Israel, with various personnel publicly indicating their inability to support Washington's position on the conflict.

Ex-State Department official Annelle Sheline last week publicly resigned in a CNN op-ed, stating that "I believe strongly in the mission and in the important work of that office. However, as a representative of a government that is directly enabling what the International Court of Justice has said could plausibly be a genocide in Gaza, such work has become almost impossible."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.