White House says it does not approve of stand-alone aid package for Israel

The White House on Monday said it does not support a stand-alone aid package for Israel, following Iranian attacks on the country over the weekend.

Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday, after it blamed Israel for killing a top-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official in an airstrike in Syria earlier this month.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the Biden administration does not support a Congressional aid package solely for Israel, when other countries like Ukraine and Taiwan also need help from the United States.

“We are opposed to a stand-alone bill that would just work on Israel, as we’ve seen proposed. We would oppose a stand-alone bill, yes,” Kirby told reporters at a press briefing, according to The Hill.

The comment comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise indicated the House would vote on aid for Israel sometime this week. But the Biden administration has been pushing the House to pass a $95 billion aid package that would include funds for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, for months.

President Joe Biden also warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would not help Israel retaliate against Iran, citing concerns it would escalate the conflict in the Middle East. 

Iran said it would not attack Israel again, and considers the situation settled, unless Israel attacks it.

“At this point, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, but if necessary it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a post to X on Sunday.