The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to pass a Republican-led bill to force the delivery of defensive weapons to Israel, as Republicans intensify pressure on President Joe Biden over his handling of Israel's war on Gaza.

It is unlikely to be taken up in the Democratic-led Senate, where the White House has reiterated that Biden will veto the bill if it passes Congress.

The bill prohibits President Biden from withholding, halting, reversing, or canceling congressionally approved arms transfers from the United States to Israel, and requires any withheld weapons to be delivered to Israel within 15 days of the bill's enactment.

The legislation would cut off funds to several key executive branch entities, including the State Department, Defense Department and National Security Council until any seized weapons are sent to Israel.

The vote was by 224 votes to 187 votes. Three Republicans voted against this measure, while 16 Democrats voted in favor of the resolution.

The vote comes as Biden faces opposition from lawmakers from both parties after he said during an interview with Erin Burnett on CNN last week that he would halt some US arms shipments to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.

Biden said that while the United States would continue to provide defensive weapons to Israel, including the Iron Dome air defense system, other shipments would stop if a major ground invasion of Rafah were to begin.