WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, three congressional aides said Tuesday.

It’s the first arms shipment to Israel to be announced by the administration since it put another arms transfer — consisting of 3,500 bombs — on hold this month. The administration has said it paused that earlier transfer to keep Israel from using the bombs in its offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.