The Biden administration agreed to allow Israel to purchase thousands of M16 rifles from US companies - on condition that the weapons would not be distributed to community security squads in Judea and Samaria, journalist Barak Ravid reported on Axios.
Israel's government requested to urgently purchase thousands of weapons following the October 7 massacre of 1,400 Israelis. However, according to four US and Israeli officials familiar with the matter, the US agreed to the sale only on condition that the weapons not be used in Judea and Samaria, due to the US concerns that such a move would increase tensions in the area.
Axios quoted a source as naming Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) as one of the lawmakers who raised concerns about the potential diversion of arms to Judea and Samaria, and who asked that any sales not be used to fuel "extremist violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank."
The US does not usually place such conditions on weapons sales to Israel, Ravid noted.
Ravid added that the US State Department could only comment that "diplomatic consultations took place to address potential concerns on this deal."
"We received assurances from the Israelis that these rifles will only go to Israeli national police-controlled units," Jessica Lewis, the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, told Axios.
Last month, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan signed a deal with the IWI to purchase hundreds of "Arad" assault rifles, a modified M4 used by the elite units of the IDF.
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