The United States House of Representatives has finally voted for a $17 billion package (nearlY £14 billion) of military aid to Israel in a tangible show of support just a week after the country was subject to a missile and drone barrage from Iran.

The assistance will help to strengthen Israel’s defences against rocket attacks which proved their worth in providing protection against the Iranian assault.

It was part of a much larger package — most destined for Ukraine— which had been held up for months by Republican isolationists opposed to the cost but will now go to the Senate for approval next week.

A further $9 billion (£7 million) is earmarked as humanitarian aid for Gaza.

But the Israeli website is also reporting that the USA is preparing to impose sanctions on Israel’s Netzach Yehuda battalion over alleged abuses in operations on the West Bank.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the move would be “a mistake” that should be corrected — but said the problem was “not on the military level but at the political level”.

But Labour leader Merav Michaeli called for the battalion to be disbanded.

Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) meets Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (X/Twitter)

Meanwhile ,on Saturday Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul.

In an official statement posted on Twitter, Turkey said it was continuing “diplomatic efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the atrocities inflicted on the Palestinians”.