INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
BBC.The weapons consignment, which needs approval from House and Senate committees, includes missiles, shells and other munitions.The move
comes just over a fortnight before President Joe Biden leaves office
Washington has rejected calls to suspend military backing for Israel because of the number of civilians killed during the war in Gaza.In
August, the US approved the sale of $20bn in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel.The latest planned shipment contains
air-to-air missiles, Hellfire missiles, artillery shells and bombs, the US official said.A source familiar with the sale told the BBC on
having helped it build one of the most technologically sophisticated militaries in the world.According to the Stockholm International Peace
US confirmed it had paused a single consignment of 2,000lb and 500lb bombs over concerns Israel was going ahead with a major ground
operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah
Biden has since partially lifted the suspension and not repeated it.The planned shipment is one of a number of steps taken by the Biden
administration in recent weeks, as the outgoing president attempts to shore up his legacy.It will likely also be the last planned weapons
sale to Israel before he leaves the White House on 20 January 2025, when his successor Donald Trump is inaugurated.The president-elect has
previously spoken of ending foreign conflicts, and of reducing US involvement, including during his re-election bid.Trump has positioned
himself as a staunch supporter of Israel, but has urged the American ally to finish its military operation in Gaza quickly.Israel launched a
