US approves $6.4bn arms deal with Israel

The United States has approved a $6.4bn arms deal with Israel, despite growing international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

According to a Pentagon statement cited by Reuters, the package includes 30 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and 3,250 armoured infantry vehicles. The helicopters are estimated to cost $3.8bn, the vehicles $1.9bn, with the remaining $700m allocated for parts and ammunition.

The deal, greenlit by the Biden administration, comes as Israeli forces continue their military campaign in Gaza, launched following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage.

Since then, Israeli air and ground operations have killed over 62,000 Palestinians and injured more than 166,000, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The United Nations Security Council has proposed ceasefire resolutions at least six times over the past two years—all vetoed by Washington.

The weapons deal coincides with preparations for an international conference on Palestinian statehood, set to take place in New York on September 22, led by France and Saudi Arabia.