The United States government has given its approval for a $510 million weapons sale to the Israeli regime, reinforcing Washington’s military support as the regime’s actions in Gaza, characterized as genocide, reach their 21st month.
The sale, sanctioned on June 30, includes over 7,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits. Specifically, this comprises 3,845 KMU-558B/B kits intended for the BLU-109 bomb body and 3,280 KMU-572 F/B kits for the MK-82 bomb body.
Beyond the munitions kits, the agreement also covers technical support, engineering assistance, and logistics services provided by the US government.
The US State Department justified the transfer by stating it is intended to “assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready [military] capability,” deeming it “vital to US national security interests.”
The arms deal was processed via the Foreign Military Sales program and formally notified to Congress on Monday. Boeing is listed as the primary contractor for the order, with some components likely sourced from existing US military inventories.
The US government asserted that this sale “will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”
This latest approval follows a larger announcement in February by the US State Department regarding the sale of more than $7.4 billion in weapons to Israel. Critics note Israel has utilized lethal American weaponry in its military campaign in Gaza. The February package included thousands of MK 84 bombs, penetrator warheads, and Caterpillar D9 bulldozers.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) affirmed the long-standing commitment, stating, “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist ‘Israel’.”
On May 27, Tel Aviv reported receiving over 90,000 tons of American military equipment across 600 days, with the latest deliveries marking the 800th shipment. Israel has publicly stated that these arms have played a “key role” in its operations in Gaza.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted earlier this year praising a former US president, declaring, “Donald Trump is the greatest friend that ‘Israel’ has ever had in the White House. He’s shown it by sending us all the munitions that were being held up.”
According to Gaza’s health ministry, since October 7, 2023, when the Israeli regime commenced its campaign in Gaza, at least 56,674 Palestinians have been killed and 134,105 wounded.
Despite growing international condemnation concerning the regime’s actions in Gaza, described as heinous crimes, the US continues to provide military support to ‘Israel’, disregarding warnings that such transfers contribute to its complicity in the conflict and further destruction in the territory.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
