US releases $3.5 billion funds for Israel to buy American military equipment

Middle East, News, US August 11, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

The U.S. State Department has announced that Washington will provide Israel with $3.5 billion to spend on American weapons and military equipment. The release of these funds, part of a broader $14 billion supplemental funding bill passed by Congress in April, comes amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The funds were officially released after the State Department notified Congress of its intention to provide this financial support to Israel. This development occurs as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, raising fears of a wider conflict following recent high-profile assassinations of leaders from Hamas and Hezbollah.

The ongoing conflict, which began on October 7 when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, has already claimed tens of thousands of lives. According to Israeli sources, 1,200 people were killed in the initial Hamas attack, with around 250 taken hostage. In response, Israel’s military has launched a devastating assault on Gaza, resulting in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with widespread displacement, hunger, and accusations of genocide against Israel, which the Israeli government denies.

In the latest instance of violence, more than 100 Palestinians were killed when Israeli airstrikes targeted a school sheltering displaced civilians in Gaza City on Saturday. The al-Tabin school, located in the Daraj district, was hit by three bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency. The agency described the attack as a “horrific massacre,” with women, children, and the elderly among the dead.

*^{Palestinians killed in Israeli strike in Gaza City, on August 10, 2024. (Image Credit: Reuters/Abed Sabah)}*

Israel’s military claimed that the school was being used as a “command and control center” by Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, including senior commanders, but provided no evidence to support this claim. The military also disputed the casualty figures provided by Palestinian authorities.

This incident marks the fourth time in a week that Israeli forces have targeted schools used as shelters in Gaza. Hamas has repeatedly denied allegations that it uses civilian facilities as cover for military operations. The attack has drawn condemnation from Qatar, Egypt, and other countries, as well as from Palestinian political factions, NGOs, and the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat reported that rescue teams were unable to reach those trapped by the flames because the Israeli military had cut off water access to the area. Many of the injured were rushed to al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, where medical facilities are reportedly on the brink of collapse.

The bombing comes as Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have called for Israel and Hamas to resume ceasefire talks on August 15. However, as noted by Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, “Every time we get closer to any sort of negotiations for a ceasefire, there is some sort of large-scale Israeli attack that completely derails these discussions.”

Hassan Barari, a professor of international affairs at Qatar University, suggested that the attack was part of Israel’s strategy to disrupt peace efforts. “They’ve been targeting hospitals and now schools. And this is a reflection of an Israeli mindset that wants to make Gaza really a hard place to live in,” Barari said.

Palestinians gather near damage buildings after Israeli strike — ^{Palestinians gather near damaged buildings after the Israeli strike at a tent camp in the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on July 13, 2024. (Image Credit: Reuters/Mohammed Salem)}

As the conflict continues, the death toll in Gaza has reached nearly 40,000, with over 92,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. In Israel, 1,139 people were killed during the initial Hamas attacks, and more than 200 remain captive.