• The Trump administration approved a $7.4 billion arms sale to Israel, bypassing congressional review, amid rising criticism over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
• The sale includes thousands of bombs, guidance kits, and 3,000 Hellfire missiles, with deliveries starting this year.
• Critics accuse the administration of disregarding accountability, as Gaza’s death toll nears 48,200, with over 111,000 injured.
• Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and relocate Palestinians has been widely condemned as unrealistic and inhumane.
• The decision reflects a pattern of bypassing oversight, raising moral and legal concerns about fueling violence in the region.

President Trump’s administration has approved a $7.4 billion arms sale to Israel, bypassing the traditional congressional review process.

The decision, announced last week, comes as the death toll in Gaza approaches 48,200, with thousands more injured or trapped under rubble. Critics argue that the weapons will only fuel further violence in the region, where Israeli forces have been accused of committing genocide against Palestinians. While Trump has long been a staunch ally of Israel, this decision has criticism from even his conservative supporters, who question the morality of supplying arms amid such devastation.

A controversial arms deal

The State Department formally notified Congress of the $7.4 billion sale, which includes thousands of bombs, guidance kits, and 3,000 Hellfire missiles. The munitions, valued at $6.75 billion, are set to begin delivery this year, while the missiles, worth $660 million, are expected to arrive by 2028. The announcement came just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump in Washington, where the president floated the idea of the U.S. “taking over” Gaza and relocating Palestinians—a proposal widely condemned as unrealistic and inhumane.

Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, slammed the administration for circumventing the congressional review process. “In the United States, we do not have kings—we are a democracy rooted in the Constitution, governed by laws,” Meeks said.

He added that the administration failed to provide adequate justification or documentation for bypassing Congress, a move he called a “repudiation of Congress’ rightful and legitimate oversight prerogative.”

A pattern of bypassing oversight

This is not the first time Trump has sidestepped congressional scrutiny to expedite arms sales. In 2019, he declared a national emergency to push through an $8 billion weapons deal with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, despite bipartisan concerns over human rights violations. Critics argue that this latest sale to Israel follows a similar pattern of disregarding accountability, particularly as the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to rise.

The Biden administration also faces criticism for its role in arming Israel. Last summer, Biden approved a $20 billion arms deal, including F-15 fighter jets, and notified Congress of an $8 billion sale last year. While Biden temporarily halted a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs over concerns about civilian casualties, his administration has continued to support Israel’s military efforts.

Josh Paul, a former State Department official who resigned over Biden’s Gaza policy, condemned the circumvention of congressional oversight, saying it “has essentially given the middle finger to those members and to Congressional oversight.”

The human cost of war

The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 48,189 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage. Rescue teams continue to recover bodies from the rubble, with many victims still unreachable due to ongoing airstrikes and blockades. The ministry also noted that 111,640 Palestinians have been injured, many of whom face dire conditions in overwhelmed hospitals.

Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and transform it into “the Riviera of the Middle East” has been met with widespread condemnation. Palestinians, Arab nations, and international leaders have rejected the idea as both impractical and offensive, given the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The Trump administration’s decision to bypass Congress and arm Israel underscores a troubling trend of sidelining democratic processes in favor of expediency. While the U.S. has long been a key ally of Israel, supplying weapons amid such widespread devastation raises serious moral and legal questions. In a region already scarred by decades of conflict, the decision to arm Israel without proper oversight risks deepening the cycle of violence and suffering.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

Reuters.com

CNN.com

MiddleEastMonitor.com