Palestine advocates on Wednesday slammed the Biden administration as it pushes Congress to approve the sale of $18 billion worth of F-15 fighter jets to Israel, despite public pronouncements of anger over ongoing Israeli atrocities in Gaza and a federal ban on the U.S. arms transfers to human rights violators.

The New York Times reported that the U.S. State Department has informally asked two congressional committees to begin the legislative review process for the deal, which involves the sale of as many as 50 McDonnell Douglas F-15 fighters to Israel, as well as munitions, training, and other support.

The proposed deal — which would be one of the largest and most lucrative arms sales to Israel in years — comes amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, during which more than 115,000 Palestinians have been killed, maimed, or are missing and presumed dead.

The planned sale also comes amid growing frustration among Biden administration officials over what President Joe Biden called Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza. On Tuesday, Biden said he was “outraged” and “heartbroken” by Israel’s airstrike targeting a World Central Kitchen convoy that killed seven humanitarian aid workers, including one U.S. citizen. Biden acknowledged that the attack was “not a stand-alone incident” while asserting that Israel has “not done enough” to protect Palestinian civilians.

“Does anyone wonder why Netanyahu ignores Biden’s pleas for restraint in Gaza? Netanyahu sees them as empty words because, as Israel is bombing and starving Palestinian civilians, Biden still wants to sell it $18 billion of F-15 fighter jets,” former Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said Wednesday, referring to right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hearts break, but weapons aid to Netanyahu remains unbroken. https://t.co/6owmk4RL2c

Some congressional progressives have also come out against the proposed sale. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asked: “The United States wants Israel to let in........

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