The US State Department has notified Congress of a planned $8bn (£6.4bn) arms sale to Israel, a US official has confirmed to the BBC.
The weapons shipment, which requires approval by House and Senate committees, includes air-to-air missiles to be used against aerial threats, including drones, the official said.
The move comes just over two weeks before President Joe Biden leaves office. A source familiar with the sale told the BBC: “The president has made it clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens, in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law.”
In August, the US approved the sale of fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel worth $20 billion.
