On Tuesday, May 8, Biden declared that he would prevent the transfer of weapons including bombs and missiles that may be fired into the densely populated area where more than a million Palestinians are seeking refuge.

The notification about the sale was sent informally on Tuesday, May 14 after the State Department opened discussions with the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations without setting a timeline for when the Congress would officially be notified of the sale.

The Biden administration’s decision to halt the delivery of 500-pound bombs and 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, claiming opposition to the weapons being deployed in the densely populated sections of Rafah, coincides with the decision to move forward with this new weapons transaction.

According to one of the congressional sources, the potential new $1 billion arms deal would involve the possible transfer of $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles, and $60 million in mortar rounds.

The arms in discussion would not be sent to Israel anytime soon as Congress would still need to be formally informed of the sale and must approve it of which might be a prolonged process that takes a while if there are objections from Congress.

While US officials have said that other cases of weapons shipments to Israel would be under review, they have also said that the US will continue to make sure that Israel has the military capacity to defend itself, indicating that longer-term weapons deals are not going to be halted at this time.

US authorities have stated that they will investigate additional cases of arms shipments to Israel but will continue to ensure Israel has the military capabilities to defend itself. Long-term weapons purchases are not expected to be blocked at this time.

“We are continuing to send military assistance, and we will ensure that Israel receives the full amount provided…

“We have paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs because we do not believe they should be dropped in densely populated cities. We are talking to the Israeli government about this,” Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan said.

The ICIR reports that Israel’s attack on Gaza started after Hamas carried out a surprise attack in October 2023, during a major Jewish holiday, leaving about 250 Israelis dead and about 1,500 injured.

According to the Head of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing Mohammed Deif, the attack was a reaction to Israel’s 16-year blockade of Gaza, raids inside West Bank cities over the past year, violence at Al Aqsa, increasing attacks by settlers on Palestinians and the growth of settlements.

A report by the CNN, quoting the United Nations data, said no less than 35,000 people have died from the attack in Gaza alone.