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WASHINGTON — <\/span>The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Wednesday that he\u2019s going to block a proposed sale of $2.8 billion in heavy weaponry to Israel<\/a> over concerns that the powerful bombs may not be used in line with U.S. and international law.<\/p>\n Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York said he would withhold approval for the sale because of \u201cgrave, unresolved concerns” about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Trump administration has not provided sufficient assurances that these weapons will be used by the Netanyahu government in accordance with U.S. law and with appropriate protections for civilians,\u201d Meeks said in a statement. \u201cI therefore will not clear this sale at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n Meeks\u2019 objections, however, will not likely affect the sale, which was informally notified to lawmakers on Tuesday. Once it is formally notified to Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio can bypass the normal congressional review process by making an emergency determination that the transaction is an urgent national security interest.<\/p>\n Rubio has done so in the past, including bypassing a normal congressional review process<\/a> to approve a nearly $3 billion sale to Israel last year. The administration then approved a new series of arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion<\/a> in January.<\/p>\n The State Department did not respond to requests for comment about either the new proposed sale or Meeks\u2019 objection to it.<\/p>\n The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 powerful 2,000-pound bombs, The Associated Press has reported. The transfer of 2,000-pound bombs had been paused by the Biden administration over concerns about the possibility of mass casualties.<\/p>\n The proposed sale is just the latest in a series of Trump administration steps to improve Israel\u2019s military capacity and it comes as Israel is facing increased international isolation over its war in Gaza in response to the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks<\/a> by Hamas.<\/p>\n The conflict in Gaza has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and has decimated the enclave. The U.S. brokered a fragile ceasefire, but violence has continued.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n