In the midst of a distressing military operation in Gaza that has resulted in a tragic loss of civilian lives, the Biden administration has decided to proceed with a $320 million arms agreement for Israel.

This agreement primarily involves the transfer of Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies, a precision-guided smart bomb type, from a U.S. subsidiary of an Israeli defense company to the Israeli government, as detailed by The Wall Street Journal.

The Spice (Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) bombs constitute a category of air-to-ground weapons that have been developed by Rafael USA, the American division of one of Israel's leading arms manufacturers. These bombs are part of a family of guided munitions intended to improve the accuracy of unguided bombs, effectively converting them into GPS-guided munitions.

Spice bombs are equipped with sophisticated guidance kits that incorporate INS/GPS (Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System) guidance along with electro-optical seekers for precise final targeting. This technology substantially boosts their precision and targeting capabilities, rendering them more efficient in hitting their intended targets.

These very same bombs were deployed during the Balakot airstrikes, which occurred on February 26, 2019. During this operation, the Indian Air Force executed a targeted strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist camp situated in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This response was a reaction to the Pulwama attack. The Pentagon has not publicly revealed the full scope of military aid and equipment furnished to Israel since the commencement of the military operations on October 7.

The transfer occurs at the same time as increasing international appeals for a ceasefire in Gaza, given the escalating civilian casualties stemming from Israeli airstrikes. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has acknowledged that a substantial number of innocent people in Gaza, numbering in the many thousands, have tragically lost their lives.

Senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have made appeals to Israel, urging the consideration of humanitarian pauses to facilitate the delivery of aid into Gaza and the safe evacuation of civilians. However, the United States has refrained from explicitly advocating for a ceasefire. This decision is based on concerns that a ceasefire might potentially benefit Hamas, as reported by CNN.

As the conflict in Gaza continues, the United States grapples with the challenging task of balancing humanitarian concerns with strategic considerations, particularly in relation to Hamas, while international calls for a ceasefire persist.

Image source: Reuters