FILE – President Donald Trump, left, stands with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the West Wing of the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
In a renewed show of support for Israel, which faces growing global isolation over the Gaza war, the Donald Trump administration has notified Congress of plans to sell nearly $6 billion in weapons to the US ally. According to a US official cited by the Associated Press, the package includes a $3.8 billion deal for 30 AH-64 Apache helicopters—almost doubling Israel’s current fleet—and a $1.9 billion sale for 3,200 infantry assault vehicles. Delivery is expected to take at least two to three years.The State Department declined to comment on the proposal, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The development comes as Washington struggles to broker an end to the nearly two-year conflict. Peace talks have stalled, particularly after Israel’s recent strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar.Despite mounting international criticism and efforts by some Senate Democrats to block offensive arms transfers, the Trump administration has remained steadfast in backing Israel, whose latest offensive in Gaza City has drawn widespread condemnation. The previous Biden administration had paused shipments of 2,000-pound bombs over concerns about civilian casualties, but Trump reversed that hold after taking office in January. So far this year, his administration has approved roughly $12 billion in major military aid to Israel, including a $500 million deal in June to provide bomb guidance kits for precision strikes.
