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Arab News
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
US sending Israel 20,000 assault rifles that Biden had delayed, say sources
The rifle sale is a small transaction next to the billions of dollars worth of weapons that Washington supplies to IsraelThe March 6 congressional notification said the US government had taken into account 'political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations'WASHINGTON: The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 US-made assault rifles to Israel last month, according to a document seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the matter, pushing ahead with a sale that the administration of former president Joe Biden had delayed over concerns they could be used by extremist Israeli State Department sent a notification to Congress on March 6 for the $24 million sale, saying the end user would be the Israeli National Police, according to the rifle sale is a small transaction next to the billions of dollars worth of weapons that Washington supplies to Israel. But it drew attention when the Biden administration delayed the sale over concerns that the weapons could end up in the hands of Israeli settlers, some of whom have carried out attacks on Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Biden administration has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities accused of committing violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which has seen a rise in settler attacks on his first day in office on January 20, Trump issued an executive order rescinding US sanctions on Israeli settlers in a reversal of US policy. Since then, his administration has approved the sale of billions of dollars worth of weapons to March 6 congressional notification said the US government had taken into account 'political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations.'The State Department did not respond to a request for comment when asked if the administration sought assurances from Israel on the use of the TIESSince a 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state, and has built settlements that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the violence had been on the rise prior to the eruption of the Gaza war, and has worsened since the conflict began over a year has forged close ties to Netanyahu, pledging to back Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. His administration has in some cases pushed ahead with Israel arms sales despite requests from Democratic lawmakers that the sales be paused until they received more US Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a bid to block $8.8 billion in arms sales to Israel over human rights concerns, voting 82-15 and 83-15 to reject two resolutions of disapproval over sales of massive bombs and other offensive military resolutions were offered by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with rifle sale had been put on hold after Democratic lawmakers objected and sought information on how Israel was going to use them. The congressional committees eventually cleared the sale but the Biden administration kept the hold in latest episode in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict began with a Hamas attack on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023 with gunmen killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, oversees the Israeli police force. The Times of Israel newspaper in November 2023 reported that his ministry has put 'a heavy emphasis on arming civilian security squads' in the aftermath of October 7 attacks.
Saudi Gazette
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Trump insists US will take Gaza as he meets Jordan's King Abdullah
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has once again insisted the US will take control of the Gaza Strip, as he met Jordan's King Abdullah at the White House on was their first meeting since Trump announced his proposal to take over the enclave and move its population of two million Palestinians to other countries in the region, including this week, Trump suggested he could withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt unless they agreed to take in those Palestinians from a key US ally in the Middle East, is already home to millions of Palestinians and has rejected the proposal. King Abdullah said after their meeting that Jordan's "steadfast position [is] against the displacement of Palestinians".But speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, with King Abdullah seated to his right, Trump signaled he would not shift on his idea which triggered global condemnation when he unveiled it last week."We're going to take it. We're going to hold it. We're going to cherish it," he said of claimed that "a lot of jobs" would be created across the region if a US takeover of the devastated territory were to happen."I think it could be a diamond," he said, adding that he now believes the US is "above" having to threaten other countries to Abdullah sat quietly next to Trump as the president repeated a proposal that would upend decades of established US policy and could amount to a breach of international law, which prohibits the forcible transfer of has so far rejected the idea as a fundamental breach of international law, but has quietly expressed concerns about the kingdom's ability to absorb large numbers of the possibility of taking in additional Palestinians, King Abdullah said a solution that is "best for everybody" would be necessary. He said Jordan would take in 2,000 unwell Palestinian however, appeared unmoved and reiterated his stance that he expects Jordan and Egypt to play a part in housing resettled Palestinians."I believe we'll have a parcel of land in Jordan. I believe we'll have a parcel of land in Egypt," Trump said. "We may have someplace else, but I think when we finish our talks, we'll have a place where they're going to live very happily and very safely."Egypt has roundly rejected Trump's idea to remove Palestinians from Gaza. Its foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday that the country intended to put forward a plan with "a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of Gaza in a manner that guarantees the Palestinian people's continued presence on their land, in alignment with their legitimate legal rights".The statement said Egypt had an "aspiration" to work with the Trump administration on its plan, but it stressed that any foreign intervention should "avoid jeopardizing the gains of Abdullah stressed that the Middle East was largely aligned with this position following his White House meeting. He wrote on X that his conversation with Trump was "constructive", but said that his country remained concerned with Trump's proposal."I reiterated Jordan's steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank," he said. "This is the unified Arab position.""Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all," he is already home to millions of people descended from Palestinian refugees who were forced from the land that became Israel in 1948, alongside those whose roots lie firmly east of the River country has also absorbed waves of refugees from Syria, and is heavily reliant on US economic and military UN has warned that any forced displacement of civilians from occupied territory is strictly prohibited under international law and is "tantamount to ethnic cleansing".Trump on Tuesday appeared to dodge a question about that UN warning."We're moving them to a beautiful location where they can have new homes, where they can live safely, where they can have doctors and medical and all of those things," he Abdullah said during the meeting that the matter would be discussed and both sides should "wait until the Egyptians" can present their deal with Egypt is believed to be a proposal for the future governance of Gaza, backed by other Arab states as a way to counteract Trump's still being formulated, it is thought the proposal could involve a local administration of technocrats drawn from Palestinians in Gaza, without affiliating to factions including first revealing the US proposal during a news conference last week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump has repeatedly doubled down on his plan for Gaza, saying he is "committed to buying and owning" an interview with Fox News broadcast earlier this week, Trump said Gaza's two million residents would be resettled and have no right to return. "They wouldn't, because they have much better housing," he said. "I'm talking about building a permanent place for them." — BBC
