WASHINGTON: The US has reportedly finalised the sale of more than 20,000 US-manufactured assault rifles to Israel despite concerns they could end up in the hands of violent illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Biden had delayed the sale, but his successor, Donald Trump, sent a notification to Congress on March 6 for the $24m sale, Reuters news agency reported.
Washington said that the rifles will be used by the Israeli police, with the government claiming it has taken into account “political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations”. The rifle sale is a small transaction next to the billions of dollars worth of weapons the US supplies to Israel.
The Biden administration had imposed sanctions on individuals and entities accused of committing violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which has seen an increase in attacks on Palestinians.
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On his first day in office, January 20, Trump signed an executive order lifting US sanctions on illegal Israeli settlers, marking a reversal of US policy. Since then, his administration has authorised the sale of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to Israel.
Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians seek as the heart of an independent state, and has established illegal settlements.
