by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Biden administration is moving forward with a $680 million arms package to Israel, including thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits and hundreds of small-diameter bombs, a U.S. official confirmed Wednesday, as reported by the Financial Times.
This follows the implementation of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, ending one of the deadliest cross-border conflicts in years. Meanwhile, Israel continues its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Biden administration officials recently briefed Congress on plans to sell precision weapons, replenishing stockpiles depleted during the 14-month conflict. This comes on top of nearly $20 billion in arms sales approved by Congress last week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted the need to replenish weapons stockpiles as a key factor in the ceasefire decision. “It is no secret that there have been big delays in weapons and munitions deliveries. These delays will be resolved soon,” Netanyahu said Tuesday night.
Netanyahu assured Israelis that the ceasefire agreement grants Israel “full freedom of military action” to respond to any Hezbollah threats.
The U.S. delayed some weapons shipments during the Gaza War over civilian casualty concerns but denies linking the ceasefire to arms sales.
White House envoy Amos Hochstein told Channel 13 News that no demands were imposed on Israel regarding the deals.
Channel 13 U.S. correspondent Neriah Krauss questioned White House envoy Amos Hochstein, asking, “Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed that one of the reasons Israel is doing the deal is because it needs weapons that were delayed by the U.S. administration. Is it true that Israel had to cave into that deal to get weapons?” Hochstein replied, “I don’t believe the Israeli government caved into any deal. This deal is a good deal for Israel.”
Hochstein emphasized his longstanding relationship with Israel’s leadership, stating, “I have known Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government of Israel for a very long time. I have never known them to cave into deals that they thought threatened the security of Israel.”
He added, “There were no demands by the United States related to weapons or any other sort. There were no threats whatsoever. Those are just rumors and inaccurate ones.”
Earlier today, Worthy News reported that a confidential clause in the U.S.-Israel side agreement to the Lebanon ceasefire dubbed the “Iranian clause” and reportedly centered on Iran, played a crucial role in Israel’s decision to accept the agreement with Lebanon.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Several nations have threatened to boycott the world’s largest televised song competition if Israel participates.
Suspected Islamist gunmen on motorbikes have killed at least 22 people in Niger, including about 15 at a baptism ceremony and seven more nearby, officials and witnesses said. In neighboring Nigeria, a Christian farmer in the Abuja area separately told Worthy News he miraculously escaped armed men raiding his land.
At least nine people have died in Pakistan’s Punjab province when a rescue boat capsized during flood relief efforts, authorities confirmed over the weekend amid massive death and destruction that also impacted the Islamic nation’s tiny Christian minority.
The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday announced the designation of four Iran-backed militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), escalating pressure on Tehran and its network of proxies across the Middle East.
Israel on Wednesday announced that its long-awaited laser air defense system, known as the “Iron Beam,” is now fully operational following a series of advanced tests. The Defense Ministry and developer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said the first batteries will be delivered to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) by the end of the year, marking a historic first for military technology worldwide.
Iran erupted in protests overnight as thousands took to the streets to mark the third anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, the young Kurdish woman killed in custody by the regime’s morality police after refusing to wear a hijab.
The European Commission on Wednesday formally unveiled a proposal to sanction far-right Israeli ministers and partially suspend the European Union’s association agreement with Israel, marking a dramatic escalation of Europe’s response to the war in Gaza.