DeSantis sending drones, weapons, ammunition to Israel

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has sent drones, weapons and ammunition to Israel to support its war against Hamas, a move that bolsters his pro-Israel stance in the battle for the GOP presidential nomination.

Jeremy Redfern, a spokesperson for DeSantis’s office, said that the Israeli Consul General in Miami requested Florida send drones, body armor and helmets to Israel for first responders to use. Redfern said that cargo planes carrying the items, which also included hospital and health-care supplies, were contracted by Florida.

He also said the office worked with the Consul General “to help get weapons and ammunition to Israel through private parties.” He did not say who these private parties were.

Redfern also did not comment on what kinds of weapons were provided or how many drones and rounds of ammunition were sent to Israel.

DeSantis has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and has vowed that Florida will do as much as it can to aid the nation in its efforts against Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. He issued an executive order earlier this month authorizing the rescue of Floridians in Israel using chartered flights.

In a Wednesday post on X, formerly Twitter, DeSantis wrote that nearly 700 Americans have been flown from Israel to Florida in four separate rescue flights.

The U.S. has also said it is working to get Americans out of the region and is negotiating for the release of Americans held hostage by Hamas. National Security spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday that the U.S. is not sure how many of the 10 Americans unaccounted for in Israel are being held as hostages, noting that some may have been killed in the initial attacks.

“We don’t know.  They're unaccounted for. Some could be hostages; some could unfortunately be — be dead. We just — we don't know. That's why they're still in the unaccounted-for category,” he said at a press briefing.

It’s unclear whether DeSantis coordinated with the Biden administration to send the weapons and other supplies.

The Hill has reached out to the National Security Council and the Commerce Department for comment.

DeSantis is trailing former President Trump in GOP primary polls nationally and in early-voting primary states. Republicans will hold their third presidential debate in early November, though Trump is not expected to attend.

Hamas launched its attack on Oct. 7, prompting Israel to declare war on the group. Since then, Israel has escalated its bombardment of Gaza, saying it is targeting Hamas’s strongholds in the territory.

More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the conflict, mostly in the initial infiltration on Oct. 7. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday that 6,546 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

--Updated at 1:17 p.m.