WASHIGTON: US President Joe Biden’s administration has approved over $20 billion in new weapons sales to Israel, brushing aside pressure from rights activists to stop arms deliveries over the death toll in Gaza.

The sale comes as Biden has pressed Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire after 10 months of bloodshed, although the weapons would take years to reach Israel.

In a notification to Congress, the State Department said it had approved a sale of 50 F-15 fighter jets to Israel for $18.82bn. Israel will also buy nearly 33,000 tank cartridges, up to 50,000 explosive mortar cartridges and new military cargo vehicles.

The F-15 aircraft, which will begin to be delivered in 2029, will upgrade Israel’s current fleet and include radar and secure communications equipment.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defence capability,” the State Department said in its notice on the F-15s, which are made by Boeing.

On the tank cartridges, the United States said the sale “will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future enemy threats, strengthen its homeland defence and serve as a deterrent to regional threats.”

The US Congress can block weapons sales, but such a process is difficult.

The United States has said it remains hopeful that Israel and Hamas will resume ceasefire negotiations this week, AFP reports.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already confirmed Israel’s participation and “our Qatari partners have assured us that they are working to ensure that there is Hamas representation as well”, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.

“So, we’ll let this process play out, but we fully expect these talks to move forward, as they should,” Patel told reporters.

Patel said that a ceasefire would allow the release of hostages, the delivery of humanitarian aid and new diplomacy “to get the region out of this endless cycle of violence”.