US to send $3.5bn more in military aid to Israel amid war on Gaza

Part of the military aid package will go to an Israeli army unit accused of serious rights abuses of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The United States will send an additional $3.5bn to Israel to spend on US-made weapons and military equipment, the Department of State has said, as the deadly war in Gaza continues into its 10th month and amid claims of widespread Israeli military abuses in the occupied Palestinian territory.

A State Department spokesperson said on Friday that the department had notified Congress on Thursday that the Biden administration intended to release billions of dollars worth of foreign military financing to Israel.

US broadcast media first reported on the release of the funds, which comes from a $14.5bn supplemental funding bill for Israel passed by the Congress in April. The supplemental budget comes on top of the more than $3bn in annual US military aid to Israel.

Part of the new financial aid will go to an Israeli military unit, which is accused of carrying out human rights abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The State Department said it had decided against sanctioning the unit – which would have been the first-ever blocking of aid to the Israeli military – saying it was satisfied with Israeli efforts to address “violations by this unit” which have been “effectively remediated”.

While the US has not publicly named the unit, it is believed to be Israel’s Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has historically been based in the occupied West Bank.