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The Trump administration has moved with the sale of over 20,000 Colt Carbine assault rifles to Israel, a deal originally delayed during Biden’s term over concerns they could be used by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank, Reuters reported on Friday, quoting sources familiar with the matter and citing a document review.
According to the report, the $24 million sale was notified to Congress on March 6, with the rifles set to be supplied to the Israeli National Police.
The previous administration had raised concerns that the rifles could be deployed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where violence has been a growing concern. In recent years, extremist settlers have reportedly been involved in attacks against Palestinians.
Under President Joe Biden, the US had imposed sanctions on individuals and groups accused of violence in the West Bank. The Trump administration, however, reversed many of Biden’s policies, including rescinding sanctions on Israeli settlers and moving ahead with arms sales, including billions of dollars worth of weapons to Israel.
According to the report, the notification sent to Congress on March 6 said the US government considered various factors, including political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations, while approving the sale.
The rifle sale comes amid ongoing violence in the Gaza conflict, which intensified after the Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, that saw at least 1,200 Israelis killed and more than 250 taken as hostages. Since then, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have resulted in over 50,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health authorities.
In recent months, the US Senate rejected two resolutions aimed at blocking $8.8 billion in arms sales to Israel, with both resolutions failing by overwhelming margins, the report said.
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