Biden eyeing major weapons transfer to Israel

The Biden administration is working to fulfill Israel’s request to urgently transfer weapons to Tel Aviv, according to a U.S. official and second person familiar with the talks, a day after Hamas militants launched an unprecedented wave of attacks on southern Israel in a conflict that threatens to erupt into a wider war.

Israeli officials have asked the U.S. to transfer specific weapons systems, said the people, who were granted anonymity to speak ahead of any announcement, and Washington is working to make that happen. They did not say what those weapons were, citing operational security.

The weapons transfers could be part of a new package of assistance for Israel, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN Sunday morning the administration would make public later in the day.

"We are looking at specific additional requests that the Israelis have made. I think you're likely to hear more about that later today," Blinken told CNN.

Biden on Sunday directed additional support for Israel "in the face of this unprecedented terrorist assault by Hamas," the White House said in a Sunday statement. The president and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on Sunday morning by their national security team on the situation in Israel, and will continue to receive updates, according to the statement.

The president has directed his team to do everything possible to support Israel in the conflict, said the U.S. official.

“They told us, ‘tell us what you need, you will get it,’” said the second person familiar with the discussions.

One option the White House may be considering is to release a little-known stockpile of American ammunition stored in Israel. The weapons are intended for the U.S. to use in Middle East conflicts, but the U.S. has also allowed Israel to access the ammunition in emergencies.

While the U.S. sent some of that ammunition to Ukraine to help it repel Russian invaders, there is still enough left in the stockpile for Israel, the U.S. official said.

A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on any new announcements.

The U.S. official said the administration does not anticipate that any military assistance to Israel will impact its ability to continue to send weapons to Ukraine, as the two countries use different systems.

While the U.S. has sent significant amounts of military aid to Ukraine, it has also deliberately made sure it has enough in its own stockpiles to protect itself and its allies if the need arises, the official said.

“Israel has Iron Dome, whereas Ukraine has NASAMS, Patriot, Hawks,” the official added, referring to different air defense systems. “It’s a bit of a different category.”

Eugene Daniels contributed to this report.