US House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday (May 16) to mandate the country to send weapons to Israel. The move by Republicans was meant to spotlight Democratic divisions over the Israel-Hamas war.

Notably, the Biden administration recently paused a shipment of 3,500 bombs, including some weighing up to 2,000 pounds, to discourage Israel's offensive on Rafah. However, Republicans have criticised President Joe Biden for delaying bomb shipments and abandoning US ally Israel.

The Israel Security Assistance Support Act was passed with 224 to 187 votes. Sixteen Democrats supported the measure while three Republicans opposed it. However, the bill is unlikely to become law.

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Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned Biden's decision to pause shipments to Israel.

"This is a catastrophic decision with global implications. It is obviously being done as a political calculation, and we cannot let this stand," Johnson stated during a news conference on Wednesday (May 15).

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Democrats, however, accused Republicans of politicising the issue.&nbsp;

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries reportedly told a news conference before the vote, "It is not a serious effort at legislation, which is why some of the most pro-Israel members of the House Democratic caucus will be voting no."&nbsp;

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Despite the delayed shipment of bombs, Israel remains a major recipient of US military aid, with billions of dollars in weaponry still expected.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell expressed his frustration, saying, "I don’t think we should tell the Israelis how to conduct their military campaign, period.”

<h2>$1 billion weapons aid package</h2>

US State Department on Tuesday (May 14) advanced a $1 billion weapons aid package for Israel into the congressional review process.

Biden has put a hold on the bomb transfer due to concerns about potential mass casualties in Rafah.

The ongoing conflict has already resulted in significant loss of life. Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed as Israel retaliates for the October 7 attack by Hamas militant group.

The United Nations humanitarian aid agency has warned that an attack on Rafah could endanger hundreds of thousands of people seeking refuge there.

(With inputs from agencies)

US House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday (May 16) to mandate the country to send weapons to Israel. The move by Republicans was meant to spotlight Democratic divisions over the Israel-Hamas war.

US House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday (May 16) to mandate the country to send weapons to Israel. The move by Republicans was meant to spotlight Democratic divisions over the Israel-Hamas war. Notably, the Biden administration recently paused a shipment of 3,500 bombs, including some weighing up to 2,000 pounds, to discourage Israel's offensive on Rafah. However, Republicans have criticised President Joe Biden for delaying bomb shipments and abandoning US ally Israel. The Israel Security Assistance Support Act was passed with 224 to 187 votes. Sixteen Democrats supported the measure while three Republicans opposed it. However, the bill is unlikely to become law. Also Read | In historic move, US moves to reclassify Marijuana as drug with less risk Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned Biden's decision to pause shipments to Israel. "This is a catastrophic decision with global implications. It is obviously being done as a political calculation, and we cannot let this stand," Johnson stated during a news conference on Wednesday (May 15). Also Read | Two Thai nationals held hostage by Hamas in Gaza were killed on Oct 7 Democrats, however, accused Republicans of politicising the issue. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries reportedly told a news conference before the vote, "It is not a serious effort at legislation, which is why some of the most pro-Israel members of the House Democratic caucus will be voting no." Watch | New Caledonia protest: France sends troop to diffuse unrest × Despite the delayed shipment of bombs, Israel remains a major recipient of US military aid, with billions of dollars in weaponry still expected. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell expressed his frustration, saying, "I don’t think we should tell the Israelis how to conduct their military campaign, period.” $1 billion weapons aid package US State Department on Tuesday (May 14) advanced a $1 billion weapons aid package for Israel into the congressional review process. Biden has put a hold on the bomb transfer due to concerns about potential mass casualties in Rafah. The ongoing conflict has already resulted in significant loss of life. Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed as Israel retaliates for the October 7 attack by Hamas militant group. The United Nations humanitarian aid agency has warned that an attack on Rafah could endanger hundreds of thousands of people seeking refuge there. (With inputs from agencies)

House Republicans pass bill mandating weapons shipment to Israel

An Israeli diplomat in Miami on Thursday pushed back against an assertion by the administration of Ron DeSantis that the Florida governor had coordinated with his office to facilitate the shipment of ammunition and weapons to Israel.

Earlier on Thursday, a DeSantis spokesperson said the governor's office had contracted cargo planes to send drones, body armor, and helmets to Israel and worked to "get weapons and ammunition to Israel through private parties."

There were few details disclosed about the shipments, including where the materials originated, and which third parties Florida worked with.

"At the request of the Israeli Consul General in Miami, cargo planes contracted by Florida were used to transport healthcare and hospital supplies, drones, body armor, and helmets that first responders can use," Jeremy Redfern, the press secretary for DeSantis' gubernatorial office, wrote in a statement to Reuters.

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"We also worked with the Consul General to help get weapons and ammunition to Israel through private parties."

In an interview with Reuters, however, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, the Israeli consul general in Miami, said his office did not work with the governor to send any weapons or ammunition to Israel through private parties, though he had once been in contact with the governor's office about a plane that was carrying rifle parts.

"This is not how I would describe it," he said of the statement released by the governor's office.

Elbaz-Starinsky said DeSantis' office had contacted various Israeli government institutions, and that DeSantis had facilitated a shipment of medical supplies, which had been requested by the Israeli health ministry.

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He said that earlier in the month, there was a flight that included some "rifle inserts" that had been ordered by Israeli authorities, scheduled to leave Miami, and that he had contacted various "stakeholders" including members of Congress and the governor's office to make sure it would be able to depart. He said he was not sure what influence, if any, the governor's office had on the flight's departure.

"I am not aware and would find it very, very bizarre to think that somebody is procuring weapons and sending it to Israel," Elbaz-Starinsky said. "This is not how we work. And certainly not privately funded."

Asked to clarify, Redfern said the governor's office "was contacted by the Consul General's office for assistance to clear federal bureaucratic hurdles associated with getting those items to Israel."

While it is legal for a U.S. state to send aid to a foreign government, exporters of ammunition and other types of military equipment, including many types of body armor, generally must navigate U.S. export license requirements.

The DeSantis administration did not respond to requests for comment regarding the details of its shipments to Israel.

"There are laws and regulations which govern how the export process is handled. And that's all done through (the Commerce Department.) I couldn't speak with authority today about whether the governor has checked all those boxes or not," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.

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The U.S. Commerce Department, which oversees many of the export controls related to ammunition and military-grade equipment, said it was working with "interagency partners" to expedite applications to send aid to Israel, but that it could not discuss specific transactions.

DeSantis, who is running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race, has tried to portray himself as the staunchest Israel ally in the primary field.

He has sharply criticized former President Donald Trump, who is by far the frontrunner in the race for Republican nominee in the election, for criticizing Israel's intelligence capabilities in October and calling Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah "very smart."

DeSantis and other presidential contenders will be attending the Republican Jewish Coalition's (RJC) weekend donor gathering in Las Vegas, where he will be vying for donor money to bankroll his campaign.

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&nbsp;

An Israeli diplomat in Miami on Thursday pushed back against an assertion by the administration of Ron DeSantis that the Florida governor had coordinated with his office to facilitate the shipment of ammunition and weapons to Israel.

An Israeli diplomat in Miami on Thursday pushed back against an assertion by the administration of Ron DeSantis that the Florida governor had coordinated with his office to facilitate the shipment of ammunition and weapons to Israel. Earlier on Thursday, a DeSantis spokesperson said the governor's office had contracted cargo planes to send drones, body armor, and helmets to Israel and worked to "get weapons and ammunition to Israel through private parties." There were few details disclosed about the shipments, including where the materials originated, and which third parties Florida worked with. "At the request of the Israeli Consul General in Miami, cargo planes contracted by Florida were used to transport healthcare and hospital supplies, drones, body armor, and helmets that first responders can use," Jeremy Redfern, the press secretary for DeSantis' gubernatorial office, wrote in a statement to Reuters. Also Read | Explained | Amid fears of escalation, United States intensifies deployment of forces around Israel "We also worked with the Consul General to help get weapons and ammunition to Israel through private parties." In an interview with Reuters, however, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, the Israeli consul general in Miami, said his office did not work with the governor to send any weapons or ammunition to Israel through private parties, though he had once been in contact with the governor's office about a plane that was carrying rifle parts. "This is not how I would describe it," he said of the statement released by the governor's office. Elbaz-Starinsky said DeSantis' office had contacted various Israeli government institutions, and that DeSantis had facilitated a shipment of medical supplies, which had been requested by the Israeli health ministry. Also Read | US to send 900 troops to Middle East amid rise in attacks on its forces in Iraq and Syria He said that earlier in the month, there was a flight that included some "rifle inserts" that had been ordered by Israeli authorities, scheduled to leave Miami, and that he had contacted various "stakeholders" including members of Congress and the governor's office to make sure it would be able to depart. He said he was not sure what influence, if any, the governor's office had on the flight's departure. "I am not aware and would find it very, very bizarre to think that somebody is procuring weapons and sending it to Israel," Elbaz-Starinsky said. "This is not how we work. And certainly not privately funded." Asked to clarify, Redfern said the governor's office "was contacted by the Consul General's office for assistance to clear federal bureaucratic hurdles associated with getting those items to Israel." While it is legal for a U.S. state to send aid to a foreign government, exporters of ammunition and other types of military equipment, including many types of body armor, generally must navigate U.S. export license requirements. The DeSantis administration did not respond to requests for comment regarding the details of its shipments to Israel. "There are laws and regulations which govern how the export process is handled. And that's all done through (the Commerce Department.) I couldn't speak with authority today about whether the governor has checked all those boxes or not," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday. Watch | Mass shooting in Maine, as gun violence, hate crimes rise | Gravitas × The U.S. Commerce Department, which oversees many of the export controls related to ammunition and military-grade equipment, said it was working with "interagency partners" to expedite applications to send aid to Israel, but that it could not discuss specific transactions. DeSantis, who is running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race, has tried to portray himself as the staunchest Israel ally in the primary field. He has sharply criticized former President Donald Trump, who is by far the frontrunner in the race for Republican nominee in the election, for criticizing Israel's intelligence capabilities in October and calling Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah "very smart." DeSantis and other presidential contenders will be attending the Republican Jewish Coalition's (RJC) weekend donor gathering in Las Vegas, where he will be vying for donor money to bankroll his campaign. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Israeli official, DeSantis administration at odds over alleged ammunition shipment

In the first quarter of 2023, Apple's worldwide computer shipments decreased by almost 40% year over year. Apple's competitors are also experiencing a decline in consumer demand. Aces Also reporting double-digit declines in shipments were Dell HP and Lenovo.

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Spanish police seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated ro be worth of $114 million. A raid was conducted in a cattle ship off the Canary Islands earlier this week. Watch further to know more.

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A German World War I hand grenade was found among a shipment of French potatoes imported for a Hong Kong crisp factory, police said.

The device was safely detonated after it was discovered at the Calbee snacks factory Saturday.

"The grenade was in an unstable condition because it has been previously discharged but failed to detonate," Superintendent Wilfred Wong Ho-hon told reporters.

Police detonated it on site, Wong said, with a police video showing bomb disposal officers packing the grenade in a drainage channel at the factory before blowing it up.

The grenade was eight centimetres (three inches) wide and weighed about one kilogram (two pounds).

"All the information to date suggested that the grenade was imported from France together with the other potatoes," Wong said.

The grenade is believed to have been left in a trench during World War I and accidentally gathered up with potatoes planted a century later in the former battlefield.

"If it was covered in mud, the grenade was likely to have been left behind, dropped by soldiers there during the war, or left there after it was thrown," Hong Kong University military historian Dave Macri told the South China Morning Post.

"The ditch was then filled up and used as a growing field, and the explosive was tossed into the mix of harvested potatoes... and sent to Hong Kong."

Hong Kong police are used to dealing with old munitions, though more usually US bombs dropped on the city after it fell to the invading Japanese during World War II.

Last year the bomb disposal squad defused three large WWII bombs, two of which were found at a site in the busy Wanchai district where work was underway to build a new metro railway station.

Unexploded wartime bombs or grenades are frequently found by hikers or construction workers in the southern Chinese city, which was the scene of fierce fighting between Japanese and British allied forces in 1941.

The then-British colony was heavily bombed by the US and allied forces after the city fell to the Japanese imperial forces.

A German World War I hand grenade was found among a shipment of French potatoes imported for a Hong Kong crisp factory, police said. The device was safely detonated after it was discovered at the Calbee snacks factory Saturday.

A German World War I hand grenade was found among a shipment of French potatoes imported for a Hong Kong crisp factory, police said. The device was safely detonated after it was discovered at the Calbee snacks factory Saturday. "The grenade was in an unstable condition because it has been previously discharged but failed to detonate," Superintendent Wilfred Wong Ho-hon told reporters. Police detonated it on site, Wong said, with a police video showing bomb disposal officers packing the grenade in a drainage channel at the factory before blowing it up. The grenade was eight centimetres (three inches) wide and weighed about one kilogram (two pounds). "All the information to date suggested that the grenade was imported from France together with the other potatoes," Wong said. The grenade is believed to have been left in a trench during World War I and accidentally gathered up with potatoes planted a century later in the former battlefield. "If it was covered in mud, the grenade was likely to have been left behind, dropped by soldiers there during the war, or left there after it was thrown," Hong Kong University military historian Dave Macri told the South China Morning Post. "The ditch was then filled up and used as a growing field, and the explosive was tossed into the mix of harvested potatoes... and sent to Hong Kong." Hong Kong police are used to dealing with old munitions, though more usually US bombs dropped on the city after it fell to the invading Japanese during World War II. Last year the bomb disposal squad defused three large WWII bombs, two of which were found at a site in the busy Wanchai district where work was underway to build a new metro railway station. Unexploded wartime bombs or grenades are frequently found by hikers or construction workers in the southern Chinese city, which was the scene of fierce fighting between Japanese and British allied forces in 1941. The then-British colony was heavily bombed by the US and allied forces after the city fell to the Japanese imperial forces.

Bomb de terre: WW1 grenade found in French potato shipment

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