New evidence of America's role in the genocide in Gaza

The State Department presented the agreement as a measure to "support Israel's long-term security by resupplying stocks of critical munitions and air defense capabilities," Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

It comes as President Joe Biden approaches the final days of his term before the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald Trump.

The proposed arms sale, pending congressional approval, includes AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for fighter jets, 155mm artillery shells, small diameter bombs, 500-pound warheads, bomb fuses and other related equipment, the report added.

According to reports, munitions for the sale will be supplied from existing US stocks, but the majority will take a year or longer to produce and deliver.

The US faces criticism for providing military aid to Israel, as more than 45,650 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023.

Citing transgressions of US laws, such as the Leahy Law, as well as international laws and human rights, a number of human rights organizations, former State Department officials, and Democratic lawmakers have called on the Biden administration to stop arms transfers to Israel.

The Leahy Law, named after former Sen. Patrick Leahy, requires the US to withhold military assistance from foreign military or law enforcement units if there is credible evidence of human rights violations.

The flow of other military equipment to Israel continued, however, including $20 billion in fighter jets and other military supplies that were approved by the State Department in August.

The US, which provides $3.8 billion in annual security assistance to Israel, is by far the biggest supplier of arms to Tel Aviv, with more than 70% of Israel’s arms imports coming from the US, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

US-made weapons have been documented in several Israeli strikes on Gaza that resulted in civilian casualties, although American authorities have declined to confirm the fact.