The State Department has informed Congress of a planned $8 billion weapons sale to Israel, U.S. officials say, as the American ally presses forward with its war against Hamas in Gaza. The sale includes medium-range air-to-air missiles to help Israel defend against airborne threats,

The Biden administration says it is helping its ally defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

The Biden administration notified Congress of an $8 billion weapons package for Israel, one of the largest new arms sales since the war in Gaza began.

The U.S. State Department is warning Congress of its intention to sell $8 billion worth of weapons to Israel, multiple media outlets reported.

Joe Biden’s administration has provisionally approved $8bn in new weapons for Israel in a last-minute show of support for the US president’s close ally after more than a year of war in Gaza. The State Department disclosed the sale to Congress late on Friday in what is known as an informal notification,