Joe Biden authorises $735 million arms sale to Israel
Joe Biden's administration has approved a $735 million arms sale to Israel, according to the Washington Post. This sensitive information comes to light in the midst of the escalation of violence between Hamas and Israel, during which the latter has boasted of its technological and military superiority.
According to the Washington Post, the agreement was officially presented to Congress on 5 May, a week before Hamas launched its first rockets at Israel. The agreement involves, above all, the sale of high-precision missiles. It is a controversy that has sparked differences within the US Congress, with the same media outlet publishing statements by a Democratic lawmaker on the House Foreign Affairs Committee who said that "allowing this proposed sale of smart bombs to go through without pressuring Israel to agree to a ceasefire will only allow for more carnage".
The US has positioned itself as Israel's undisputed ally in the region and has always protected its interests in the area. Indeed, US President Joe Biden has repeatedly reiterated "Israel's right to defend itself and its people, while protecting civilians, when it has received thousands of rockets on its territory". Biden has also sent a senior member of his government to the area in order to maintain direct contacts with the Israeli authorities to encourage the declaration of a ceasefire.
Since the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas began, the focus has been on Israel's military technology, especially the so-called "Iron Dome", an air defence system designed to intercept rockets and short-range artillery. The Iron Dome has been operational since 2011, and was developed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, with financial and technical support from the United States.
The system is designed to counter short-range rockets and 155mm artillery shells with a range of up to 70 kilometres. According to its manufacturer, the Iron Dome operates both day and night, under adverse weather conditions, and can respond to multiple threats simultaneously.
Iron Dome uses sophisticated cameras and radar to track incoming rockets, determine where they will land, and intercept and destroy them far from their targets. If the system determines that the rocket is heading for an open area where casualties are unlikely, it can allow the weapon to explode on the ground. To date, it is estimated to have intercepted 90% of threats.
