The administration of US President Joe Biden, for the second time in a row, bypassed Congress in the decision to approve an emergency deal to sell weapons to Israel, which continues its war on the Gaza Strip in light of increasing international criticism.

The US State Department announced on Friday that Secretary Anthony Blinken informed Congress that he had taken a second emergency decision to sell military equipment worth $147.5 million to Israel.

It added: “Given Israel’s defense needs, Blinken informed Congress that he exercised his delegated authority in the existing state of emergency that required immediate approval of the sale.”

The ministry stated in its statement that “the United States is committed to Israel’s security, and it is important for American national interests to ensure Israel’s ability to defend itself against the threats it faces.”

The decision means that the purchase will bypass congressional review of foreign military sales.

These decisions are rare, but not unprecedented, and come when the US administration sees an urgent need to sell weapons without waiting for the approval of the Legislative Council.

Blinken had made a similar decision, on December 9, by agreeing to sell approximately 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel, worth more than $106 million.

Both moves came as President Joe Biden's request for a nearly $106 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs remains stalled in Congress.

Some Democratic representatives indicated that the proposed US aid amounting to $14.3 billion to Israel would be made conditional on concrete steps to reduce the number of civilian casualties in the Gaza war.

The US State Department sought to confront any possible criticism of the sale deal for human rights reasons by saying that it is in constant contact with Israel, to emphasize the importance of reducing civilian casualties to a minimum.

(AP)