The President Joe Biden-led United States government authorized the transfer of thousands of bombs to Israel on the same day Israeli airstrikes killed seven aid workers of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza, according to the Washington Post.
The newspaper cited multiple sources as saying that the state department approved the transfer of more than 1,000 MK82 500lb bombs, more than 1,000 small-diameter bombs, and fuses for MK80 bombs to Israel.
The transfer authorization was also reported by CNN as the Washington Post reports that a state department official confirmed the approval and said it occurred sometime “prior” to when the Israeli aircraft struck the aid convoy.
A day after the attack, Biden released a statement, saying he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the deaths of the aid workers, which included a US-Canadian dual citizen.
Last week, the US reportedly authorized the transfer of similar weaponry worth billions of dollars to Israel, including more than 1,800 MK-84 2,000lb bombs and 500 MK-82 500lb bombs.
Washington gives $3.8bn in annual military assistance to Israel, its longtime ally.
The latest transfers came from authorizations granted by Congress several years before the Israel-Gaza war began in October, but the US government has the authority to suspend an arms package any time before delivery.
Asked why the Biden administration did not pause the process after the Israeli drone attack on the WCK humanitarian aid convoy, the state department spokesperson did not comment, according to the Washington Post.
