The American New York Times newspaper said that US President Joe Biden is sending weapons to Israel under an agreement in 2016, but at the same time he has the power to limit any foreign arms shipments, even those previously approved by Congress, but he did not use this power.

The newspaper explained that Biden, instead of blocking the road to Israel, pushed forward a request he made shortly after the October 7 attack to obtain $14 billion in additional aid for weapons to Israel and for American military operations in the Middle East.

It said in her report that the 2016 agreement, which was concluded with the administration of former President Barack Obama, stipulates the provision of aid to Israel during the 10 years until 2026, worth $38 billion, and this aid includes the types of bombs that were dropped on Gaza.

The report added that the military aid package, which guarantees Israel $3.3 billion annually to purchase weapons, along with another $500 million annually for missile defense, has now become a flashpoint for the Biden administration. A minority of lawmakers in Congress, backed by liberal activists, are demanding that Biden restrict or even halt arms shipments to Israel because of its military campaign in Gaza.

The newspaper noted that Biden strongly criticized what he on one occasion called "indiscriminate bombing" in the Israeli war campaign, but he resisted placing restrictions on military aid to Israel.

The report considered the process of delivering weapons to Israel ambiguous, saying that the line of arms supplies to Israel is long. America has sent tens of thousands of weapons to it since the October 7 attack, but many of them were approved by Congress and the State Department long ago and were funded with funds provided for in the Obama administration’s agreement, known as the Comprehensive Peace Memorandum of Understanding.

Source: New York Times+ Al jazeera