Israel calls for alliance with US after receiving billions in aid

Israel welcomed a U.S. aid package signed Wednesday by President Biden that will send about $15 billion in military aid to Israel, increasing U.S. support for its closest Middle East ally despite strains in their related relations Israel's continuation of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Our alliance is ironclad, Israel Katz, the country's foreign minister, said in a statement thanking Mr. Biden for signing the legislation. It was part of a long-stalled $95.3 billion in aid package that had faced vehement opposition from some Republicans because of its support for Ukraine, which is also part of the legislation, all like Taiwan.

Aid to Israel includes more than $5 billion to replenish three of the country's defense systems: Iron Dome, which intercepts rockets flying in high arcs; Davids Sling, which shoots down drones, missiles and rockets; and Iron Beam, designed to use laser beams to destroy incoming projectiles.

It also includes $1 billion to improve artillery and munitions production and development and $2.4 billion for U.S. military operations in the U.S. Central Command region, which includes the Middle East as well as parts of South Asia and East Africa.

At the White House on Wednesday, Mr. Biden said he was authorizing vital support for Israel, less than two weeks after Iran attacked the country with more than 300 missiles and drones, almost all of which were shot down. Mr. Biden also noted that Israel was fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, both of which are backed by Iran.

Israel's security is essential, Mr. Biden said. I will always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and the terrorists it supports.

The aid bill was signed as Israel continues to plan its invasion of the southern Gaza town of Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. The Biden administration has said it would oppose such an invasion without a workable plan to protect civilians.

The legislation also provides $1 billion in additional humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, including food, medical supplies and clean water, Mr. Biden said. Israel must ensure that all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay, he said.

Famine is already widespread in Gaza and the World Food Program, a United Nations agency, warned on Wednesday that a famine could begin in six weeks without a major increase in food deliveries.

We are getting closer to a famine situation every day, Gian Carlo Cirri, director of the Geneva office of the World Food Program, told reporters. Malnutrition among children is spreading.

About 30 percent of children under the age of 2 in Gaza suffer from severe malnutrition, Mr. Cirri said. In northern Gaza, 70 percent of the population faces catastrophic levels of hunger, meaning they have exhausted almost all means of coping and are eating animal food or selling their belongings. to buy food, he explained.

Most of them are destitute and some of them are starving, he said.

Intense heat is worsening suffering in Gaza, where many civilians were sweltering in makeshift tents under the blazing sun as temperatures reached 39 degrees Celsius, or 102 degrees Fahrenheit, on Wednesday.

It looks like the tent is on fire, said Maryam Arafat, 23, who was sheltering with her husband and three young children in Deir al Balah in central Gaza. They had fled their home in Gaza City, which was under Israeli bombardment this winter. It's so hot you can't stand it, especially with young children, she says.

Ms. Arafat said she used a piece of cardboard to fan her children and moistened their heads and limbs with what little water she had. Hot weather, combined with a lack of clean water, has heightened concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases in Gaza.

Despite the humanitarian crisis, aid prevents funding for UNRWA, the main UN agency providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The United States suspended its contributions to the agency this year due to Israeli allegations that a dozen agency employees participated in attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel on or after October 7. The United Nations is currently conducting an internal review of these allegations.

But an independent study commissioned by the United Nations reported this week that Israel had provided no evidence to support its accusation that many UNRWA employees were members of Hamas and other terrorist groups.

The commission recommended that UNRWA protect its neutrality by implementing additional screening and training of its staff members and working more closely with host countries and Israel to share lists of its employees.

Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, denounced the study after its publication, calling it an attempt to avoid the problem.

But Germany, one of Israel's close allies, announced Wednesday that it would resume funding to UNRWA, about three months after suspending payments. The announcement risked further straining its long-standing ties with Israel, which have deteriorated over differences over the war in Gaza.

Germany has donated more than $200 million to UNRWA in 2023 and is its second largest donor after the United States. Several other countries, including Australia, Canada and Sweden, have also resumed funding to UNRWA.

The United States is by far Israel's largest arms supplier, and although the Biden administration has faced growing calls to restrict or stop arms deliveries, it has largely maintained military support.

The package signed by Mr. Biden places no conditions on military aid to Israel. It was a sticking point for some liberal Democrats who have increasingly criticized the Israeli military's conduct in Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have been killed, according to the territory's health authorities.

Asked Wednesday whether the Biden administration would end U.S. aid to an Israeli military unit accused of human rights abuses, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said it was for the State Department to decide and that the White House would not intervene.

The State Department is considering action against the Israeli Netzah Yehuda military battalion under a U.S. law that prohibits U.S. equipment, funds and training from going to foreign military units found guilty of gross rights violations of man. The unit was investigated in Israel for crimes committed in the West Bank before the October 7 attacks.

The report was written by Catie Edmondson, Robert Jimison, Raja Abdulrahim, Ameera Harouda and Shashank Bengali.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/world/middleeast/israel-us-aid.html The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos