What are the powerful bombs and planes that the US will send to Israel despite Biden’s criticism of the offensive in Gaza | The United States will send bombs and F-35 planes to Israel

Although publicly the president of USA, Joe Bidenhas criticized the Israel for not protecting the lives of civilians in their military offensive in Gazahis administration secretly continues to authorize the delivery of weapons to that nation.

This despite the fact that in recent weeks Washington has expressed concern about an upcoming military offensive in Rafah in the south of Gaza which threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians who have taken refuge in that territory escaping military operations in the north and center of the enclave.

Besides, USA avoided vetoing the latest resolution of the UN Security Council what does a ceasefire in Gaza unleashing the fury of Israel.

In retaliation, Israel canceled a trip by his advisors to Washington to discuss precisely the Israeli plan on Rafah.

However, over the weekend The Washington Post revealed that the administration of Biden authorized the shipment of thousands of bombs and 25 F-35A fighter jets to Israel.

The transfer of the warplanes was approved in 2008, so the State Department would not be required to notify Congress again of the delivery to Israel. The same happens with the bombs.

The newspaper specified that the sources of its revelation are Pentagon and State Department officials who prefer anonymity because this new transfer has not been made public.

How many bombs will the United States deliver and what are they like?

According to NBC News, the package that the United States will deliver to Israel includes more than 1,800 Mark 84 bombs (the MK84) of 907 kilos (2,000 pounds) and approximately 500 Mark 82 bombs (the MK82) 227 kilos (500 pounds).

The Mark 84 and 82 bombs are not guided by precision systems. However, NBC News emphasizes, in the past USA has provided Israel the system JDAM which basically It allows you to convert a normal pump into a precision one.

These large bombs often cause damage to civilians and are believed to Israel has already used them in Gaza according to NBC News.

While the Washington Post recalled that Israel used them in bombing to the refugee camp They counted on October 31, 2023 that left dozens of civilians dead.

“These are the bombs that can destroy entire blocks”said a senior administration official. Biden when referring to the MK84.

MK84 bombs leave craters in the ground 12 meters wide or more. They are almost never used by Western armies in highly populated places due to the risk of civilian casualties, the Washington Post reported.

According to US officials consulted by NBC News, Israel has provided the United States with assurances that it is using the supplied weapons within the laws of war, meeting the requirements of the new White House national security memorandum that requires weapons delivered by Washington to comply with those regulations.

At this point, it should be noted that Israel receives $3.8 billion a year in military assistance from the United States. However, NBC News notes, there is growing criticism of Washington’s continued supply of weapons to that country six months into the war, amid international scrutiny of Washington’s military tactics. Israel in Gaza and a growing number of civilian deaths.

The Washington Post recalled that the shipment of weapons to Israel It worries even Biden’s Democratic allies, who believe that the US has a responsibility to withhold weapons in the absence of an Israeli commitment to limit civilian casualties.

“The administration Biden “needs to use its influence effectively and, in my opinion, they should receive these basic commitments before giving the green light to more bombs for Gaza,” said the Democratic senator. Chris Van Hollen.

The war in Gaza broke out on October 7, 2023 after an attack by Hamas militants in Israel which left 1,160 dead, most of them civilians. In addition, the Islamists kidnapped about 250 people and took them to Gaza.

The same day, Israel He declared war on Hamas and promised to annihilate the Islamist group. So far, the Israeli air and ground offensive has caused 32,845 deaths in Gaza, most of them women and children.

What are the F-35 aircraft like?

Made by Lockheed Martinel F-35 It is the most expensive military aircraft in the world whose price can reach up to 100 million dollars.

It has three variants: the F-35A, the F-35B and the F-35C.

In 2018, Israel became the first country in the world to declare having used the F-35 in a combat operation.

At that time, local media indicated that Israel asked the United States for 50 F-35 aircraft and had already received at least nine. The rest were to be delivered in stages until 2024.

Lockheed Martin presents to F-35 Lightning II as a fifth generation fighter “what combines advanced stealth with combat speed and agility fully fissioned sensor information, enabled network operations and advanced sustainment.”

“The Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed for many missions with advanced sensors integrated into each aircraft,” the manufacturer maintains.

“Missions that are traditionally carried out by a small number of specialized aircraft – such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and electronic attack missions– can now be executed by a squadron of F-35s, bringing new capabilities to many allied forces,” he adds.