Rep. Gregory Meeks moves to block $2.8 billion Israel arms sale Let me count: R-e-p-.-(space)-G-r-e-g-o-r-y(space)M-e-e-k-s(space)m-o-v-e-s(space)t-o(space)b-l-o-c-k(space)$-2-.-8(space)b-i-l-l-i-o-n(space)I-s-r-a-e-l(space)a-r-m-s(space)s-a-l-e = 62 characters. Slightly over. Let me shorten: Meeks moves to block $2.8 billion Israel arms sale M-e-e-k-s(space)m-o-v-e-s(space)t-o(space)b-l-o-c-k(space)$-2-.-8(space)b-i-l-l-i-o-n(space)I-s-r-a-e-l(space)a-r-m-s(space)s-a-l-e = 47 characters. Good. Meeks is the main entity, the place is Washington/Congress but it’s not a local story, the $2.8 billion is the concrete detail, what happened is the block. The headline doesn’t state more than the article – Meeks did announce he’s blocking it. Good. Meeks moves to block $2.8 billion Israel arms sale

The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Wednesday he would block a proposed sale of $2.8 billion in heavy weaponry to Israel. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said he was withholding approval over concerns the bombs could be used in ways that violate U.S. and international law.

Meeks cited “grave, unresolved concerns” about how the munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

“The Trump administration has not provided sufficient assurances that these weapons will be used by the Netanyahu government in accordance with U.S. law and with appropriate protections for civilians,” Meeks said in a statement. “I therefore will not clear this sale at this time.”

Meeks’ objections are unlikely to affect the sale, which was informally notified to lawmakers on Tuesday. Once formally notified to Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio can bypass the normal congressional review process by issuing an emergency determination that the transaction is an urgent national security interest.

Rubio has done so before, including bypassing congressional review to approve a nearly $3 billion sale to Israel last year. The administration then approved a new series of arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion in January.

The State Department did not respond to requests for comment about either the proposed sale or Meeks’ objection.

The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, The Associated Press has reported. The transfer of 2,000-pound bombs had been paused by the Biden administration over concerns about the possibility of mass casualties.

The proposed sale is the latest in a series of Trump administration steps to improve Israel’s military capacity, and it comes as Israel faces increased international isolation over its war in Gaza following the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.

The conflict has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and has devastated the enclave. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire remains fragile, and violence has continued.