US approves $4 Billion in military aid to Israel

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he had signed a declaration to expedite the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military aid to Israel.

In an official statement, Rubio said the Trump administration, which took office on January 20, had approved nearly $12 billion in major arms sales to Israel. He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to Israel’s security, stating it "will continue to use all available tools to uphold America’s long-standing support, including measures to counter threats."

Rubio also confirmed that he had invoked emergency authority to accelerate the military aid, as Israel remains in a fragile ceasefire with Hamas following months of conflict in Gaza.

On Friday, the Pentagon announced that the State Department had approved a potential arms sale to Israel worth nearly $3 billion, including bombs, demolition kits, and other military equipment. The administration bypassed the usual congressional review process by declaring the sale an emergency, preventing lawmakers from delaying or requesting further details before formal approval.

This marks the second time in recent weeks that President Donald Trump's administration has used emergency powers to expedite arms sales to Israel. The Biden administration had previously employed the same mechanism to approve weapons transfers without congressional oversight.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden-era policy that required the US government to report potential violations of international law by allies using American-supplied weapons, including Israel. Additionally, it has significantly reduced US humanitarian foreign aid.

The January 19 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas ended 15 months of hostilities and paved the way for negotiations aimed at permanently halting the war. The deal also led to the release of 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel.