The U.S. is planning to send Israel $320 million worth of precision-guided bomb equipment, the Wall Street Journal reported late Monday, as U.S. officials are pressing on Israel to protect Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
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“The administration sent formal notification on Oct. 31 to congressional leaders of the planned transfer of Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies, a type of precision-guided weapon fired by warplanes,” the Wall Street Journal article read.
The report clarified the bombs would be delivered to Israel’s defense technology company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in order to be used by the government, with a clause in the agreement detailing further aid in assembly, testing and provisions of additional technologies related to the rockets.
In the past week, Israel and the Biden administration have faced increasing pressure from the international community in light of the extensive loss of life caused by the ongoing war in the region, including civilian casualties, which Hamas uses as human shields.
On Monday, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, which is operated under Hamas authority, reported that the official death toll from the IDF's strikes since the beginning of the war has exceeded 10,000, with more than 4,000 of them being children. However, experts argue that in previous fighting rounds, the statistics reported by the ministry were later found to be mostly accurate.
In a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, President Biden emphasized the importance of protecting Palestinian civilians and minimizing harm to them to the greatest extent possible, the White House said.
Biden's office also said the two had discussed the urgent need to significantly increase humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza in the coming week and that Biden urged Netanyahu to enforce the law against extremist elements among Jewish settlers involved in violent incidents against Palestinians in the West Bank.