Biden plans to send a shipment of weapons worth $8 billion to Israel

The US State Department has notified Congress of a planned $8 billion (£6.4 billion) arms sale to Israel, a US official confirmed to the BBC.

The weapons shipment, which needs approval from House and Senate committees, includes air-to-air missiles that will be used against aerial threats, including drones, the official said.

The move comes just over a fortnight before President Joe Biden leaves office. A source familiar with the sale told the BBC: “The president has made clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens, in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law.”

In August, the United States approved the sale of $20 billion in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel.