The U.S. State Department is warning Congress of its intention to sell $8 billion worth of weapons to Israel, multiple media outlets reported.

WASHINGTON — The State Department has informed Congress of a planned $8-billion weapons sale to Israel, U.S. officials say, as the American ally presses forward with its war against the Hamas militant group in Gaza.

The Biden administration says it is helping its ally defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

The State Department has informally notified Congress that it intends to sell $8 billion in arms to Israel, a US official and another source familiar with the matter told CNN.

The Biden administration notified Congress of an $8 billion weapons package for Israel, one of the largest new arms sales since the war in Gaza began.

Joe Biden’s administration has provisionally approved $8bn in new weapons for Israel in a last-minute show of support for the US president’s close ally after more than a year of war in Gaza. The State Department disclosed the sale to Congress late on Friday in what is known as an informal notification,

The planned arms sale comes just over a fortnight before Biden leaves office The US Department of State has notified Congress of a planned $8bn (£6.4bn) arms sale to Israel, an American official has confirmed to the BBC.