By Humeyra Pamuk and Mike Stone
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration has despatched to Israel massive numbers of munitions, together with greater than 10,000 extremely damaging 2,000-pound bombs and hundreds of Hellfire missiles, for the reason that begin of the struggle in Gaza, mentioned two U.S. officers briefed on an up to date checklist of weapons shipments.
Between the struggle’s begin final October and up to date days, the US has transferred a minimum of 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small-diameter bombs, and different munitions, in accordance with the officers, who weren’t approved to talk publicly.
Whereas the officers did not give a timeline for the shipments, the totals recommend there was no vital drop-off in U.S. navy assist for its ally, regardless of worldwide calls to restrict weapons provides and a current administration resolution to pause a cargo of highly effective bombs.
Consultants mentioned the contents of the shipments seem in keeping with what Israel would wish to replenish provides used on this eight-month intense navy marketing campaign in Gaza, which it launched after the Oct. 7 assault by Palestinian Hamas militants who killed 1,200 individuals and took 250 others hostage, in accordance with Israeli tallies.
“Whereas these numbers might be expended comparatively shortly in a serious battle, this checklist clearly displays a considerable degree of assist from the US for our Israeli allies,” mentioned Tom Karako, a weapons skilled on the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research, including that the listed munitions had been the kind Israel would use in its battle towards Hamas or in a possible battle with Hezbollah.
The supply numbers, which haven’t been beforehand reported, present essentially the most up-to-date and in depth tally of munitions shipped to Israel for the reason that Gaza struggle started.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been buying and selling hearth for the reason that begin of the Gaza struggle, and concern is rising that an all-out struggle might escape between the 2 sides.
The White Home declined to remark. Israel’s Embassy in Washington didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The shipments are a part of a much bigger checklist of weapons despatched to Israel for the reason that Gaza battle started, one of many U.S. officers mentioned. A senior Biden administration official on Wednesday advised reporters that Washington has since Oct. 7 despatched $6.5 billion price of safety help to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in current weeks claimed that Washington was withholding weapons, a suggestion U.S. officers have repeatedly denied regardless that they acknowledged some “bottlenecks”.
The Biden administration has paused one cargo of the two,000-pound bomb, citing concern over the influence it might have in densely populated areas in Gaza, however U.S. officers insist that every one different arms deliveries proceed as regular. One 2,000-pound bomb can rip by way of thick concrete and steel, creating a large blast radius.
Reuters reported on Thursday that the US is discussing with Israel the discharge of a cargo of enormous bombs that was suspended in Could over worries concerning the navy operation in Rafah.
Worldwide scrutiny of Israel’s navy operation in Gaza has intensified because the Palestinian demise toll from the struggle has exceeded 37,000, in accordance with the Gaza well being ministry, and has left the coastal enclave in ruins.
Washington offers $3.8 billion in annual navy help to its longtime ally. Whereas Biden has warned that he would place situations on navy assist if Israel fails to guard civilians and permit extra humanitarian assist into Gaza, he has not performed so past delaying the Could cargo.
Biden’s assist for Israel in its struggle towards Hamas has emerged as a political legal responsibility, significantly amongst younger Democrats, as he runs for re-election this yr. It fueled a wave of “uncommitted” protest votes in primaries and has pushed pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. universities.
Whereas the US gives detailed descriptions and portions of navy assist despatched to Ukraine because it fights a full-scale invasion of Russia, the administration has revealed few particulars concerning the full extent of U.S. weapons and munitions despatched to Israel.
The shipments are additionally exhausting to trace as a result of a number of the weapons are shipped as a part of arms gross sales accepted by Congress years in the past however solely now being fulfilled.
One of many U.S. officers mentioned the Pentagon has ample portions of weapons in its personal shares and had been liaising with U.S. business companions who make the weapons, comparable to Boeing (NYSE:) Co and Common Dynamics (NYSE:), as the businesses work to fabricate extra.
(This story has been corrected to repair the reference to $6.5 billion price of US ‘safety help’ to Israel as a substitute of ‘weapons’ in paragraph 9)
