Posted by The Washington Post reports that seven humanitarian workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) were slain in Gaza on the same day that the United States government, commanded by President Joe Biden, sanctioned the transfer of thousands of bombs to Israel.
Multiple sources told the newspaper that the State Department had given the go-ahead for Israel to receive over a thousand MK82 500-pound bombs, over a thousand small-diameter bombs, and MK80 bomb fuses.
According to the Washington Post, a state department official verified the approval and stated that it happened “prior” to when the Israeli planes attacked the aid convoy; CNN also reported this.
The killing of the charity workers—among them, a US-Canadian dual citizen—left Biden “outraged and heartbroken” in a statement he issued the day following the incident.
More than 1,800 MK-84 2,000lb bombs and 500 MK-82 500lb bombs were allegedly authorized for delivery to Israel last week by the US, valued at billions of dollars.
A longtime ally, Israel receives $3.8 billion in yearly military aid from Washington.
While the most recent transfers were made possible by congressional authorizations that were granted years before the Israel-Gaza war broke out in October, the US government retains the power to halt the shipment of armaments at any point before to delivery.
A representative for the state department declined to comment when asked by the Washington Post about the Biden administration’s decision not to halt the process following the Israeli drone attack on the WCK humanitarian assistance convoy.