Congress has notified the Biden administration of the planned $8 billion arms sale to Israel

The State Department has informally informed Congress of a planned $8 billion arms sale to support Israel’s long-term security by replenishing critical ammunition stocks and air defense capabilities, a US official familiar with the details confirmed. on CBS News Saturday.

President Biden made it clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens as the American ally advances its war against Hamas in Gaza.

Some of the weapons in the package could be sent through current US stockpiles, but the majority will take more than a year to several years for delivery, the US official said.

The sale includes medium-range air-to-air missiles to help Israel defend against air threats, 155mm artillery shells for long-range targets, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles, 500-pound bombs and more.

News of the arms sale was first reported by Axios.

The weapons package adds to a record of at least $17.9 billion in military aid that the United States has provided Israel since the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, launched the war.

The Biden administration has faced criticism for the increasing death of Palestinian civilians. There were demonstrations on university campuses and unsuccessful efforts in Congress by Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, and some Democrats to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel.

The United States breaks a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in May over concerns about civilian casualties if the bombs were to be used during an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Biden administration has asked Israel to increase humanitarian aid in the enclave. But in November, citing some limited progress, he refused to limit arms transfers as he threatened to do if the situation did not improve.

In the last days, Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Gaza which have killed dozens of people, adding to the tens of thousands of deaths since the war began more than a year ago.

The Israeli military said on Friday it had struck dozens of Hamas gathering points and command centers across Gaza. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in dense residential areas.

The war has caused widespread destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of them multiple times. Winter is now hereand hundreds of thousands take refuge in tents near the sea.

The informal notice to Congress is not the final notification before a sale. Now the heads of the House Foreign Affairs Committee or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can review the package.

contributed to this report.