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Two Democrats in the US Congress who had delayed a major arms sale to Israel have agreed to support the deal under heavy pressure from the Biden administration, the Washington Post reports.

Citing three unnamed officials, the Washington Post reported that Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Ben Cardin finally gave in weeks ago after months of holding up the weapons package, which includes 50 F-15 fighter jets worth more than $18 billion.

Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had previously promised to hold back the package until he received assurances about how Israel would use the warplanes and munitions in the Gaza Strip.

“Any issues or concerns that Chairman Cardin had were raised as part of our ongoing consultations with the (Biden) administration, and that is why he felt it was appropriate to pursue this case further,” Eric Harris, communications director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the Post.