Senior Democratic lawmaker wants 'assurances' before Israel F-15 deal

The top Democratic lawmaker on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said he wants "assurances" on how F-15 fighter jets and munitions will be used by Israel, before signing off on the arms transfer. 

Congressman Gregory Meeks told CNN on Tuesday that he would go into a classified briefing with the Biden administration to see what weapons systems the US was preparing to send to Israel and how they will be used. 

The Biden administration recently sent an informal notification to Congress for an $18bn arms sale to Israel that includes dozens of F-15 fighter jets. 

“I don't want the kinds of weapons that Israel has to be utilised to have more deaths,” he said.

“I want to make sure that humanitarian aid gets in. I don't want people starving to death, and I want Hamas to release the hostages. And I want a two-state solution."

Meek's words carry weight because he is one of four lawmakers, along with the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Republican chair and the senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that can block arms sales.