USA approves billion-dollar package for Israel

The US government has about two weeks before the return of Donald Trump to the White House arms deliveries to Israel totaling eight billion dollars (7.7 billion euros) decided. The arms package includes, among other things, ammunition for air defense, a US official familiar with the process said on Saturday.

The outgoing president Joe Biden have made it clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens “in accordance with international law” and to protect them from any aggression by Iran and its allies. Congress still has to approve the arms deliveries. Biden resisted pressure from human rights organizations and some members of his Democratic Party who are against further arms sales to Israel.

Trump wants to achieve a ceasefire

The USA is Israel’s most important ally. The future US President Trump has also pledged his full support to Israel. Unlike his predecessors, he has never spoken out in favor of a two-state solution – i.e. the peaceful coexistence of Israel with a Palestinian state. However, the right-wing populist also expressed his desire to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Despite intensive diplomatic efforts led by Qatar, Egypt and the USA, no ceasefire has been agreed since the week-long ceasefire at the end of November 2023.

The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has now been going on for almost 15 months. It was triggered on October 7, 2023 by a brutal attack on Israel by the radical Islamic Palestinian organization, in which, according to Israeli information, 1,208 people were killed. In addition, numerous people were abducted to the Gaza Strip.

Negotiations were resumed

Since then, the Israeli army has taken massive action against targets in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, more than 45,700 Palestinians have been killed so far. The numbers cannot be independently verified. However, the United Nations classifies this information as credible.

According to Hamas, indirect negotiations with Israel over a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip resumed on Friday in the Qatari capital Doha. The international mediators Qatar, Egypt and the USA had tried in vain in recent months to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.