Democrats Urge Biden to Pause Arms Sales to Israel Over Civilian Death Concerns
• 56 Democratic Congress members signed a letter urging Biden to halt arms sales to Israel until an investigation into the IDF airstrike that killed 7 World Central Kitchen aid workers is completed.
• The letter calls on Biden to withhold arms transfers if the strike violated US/international law or if Israel fails to mitigate harm to civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza.
• Rep. Gregory Meeks said he won't approve a proposed $18 billion arms package for Israel until assured how the weapons would be used, citing "enough of the indiscriminate bombing."
• The calls come amid spiraling concern over the high Palestinian civilian death toll in the 7-month Israel-Hamas war.
• Israel seeks to beef up its warplane fleet not just against Hamas but also potential threats from Hezbollah and Iran.