In May, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US administration had postponed the transfer of thousands of precision-guided weapons to Israel.
The United States “provided $6.5 billion in security assistance” to Israel since its war on Gaza began on October 7, the Washington Post has reported.
The paper said on Wednesday that the aid package included nearly $3 billion approved in May, according to a senior administration official, who disclosed the figures.
“This is a massive, massive undertaking,” the official reportedly said.
The Post said “the previously unannounced figures were part of discussions this week” with a visiting delegation headed by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
It comes amid Israeli allegations that the US administration has been withholding assistance.
‘Unusual’ – US Postpones Arms Shipment to Israel but Pledges ‘Ironclad Commitment’
In May, the Wall Street Journal reported that the administration had postponed the transfer of thousands of precision-guided weapons to Israel, amid speculations that Washington is intentionally delaying weapon deliveries due to increasing political pressure domestically.
‘Bottlenecks’ in Arms Flow
To address the allegations, the official said that US arms transfer experts “went through ‘hundreds of separate items’ with counterparts accompanying Gallant on his four-day visit.”
It sought to counter claims that “the US had placed ‘bottlenecks’ in the arms flow,” the report said, remarks described as “perplexing” and “inaccurate” by the White House.
Gallant told reporters on Tuesday that “our ties with the United States are the second-most important element for Israel’s security,” after Israel’s military.
“We need American diplomatic and political support, power projection, supply of munition and more,” he said.
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The defense minister mentioned “significant progress” in the situation, saying that “obstacles were removed and bottlenecks were addressed in order to advance a variety of issues, and more specifically the topic of force build up and munition supply.”
Briefing reporters on the visit, the senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said “In terms of bottlenecks, it is a complicated, bureaucratic system that we have for good reason … making sure we fully fulfill all of our obligations to Congress, laws, procedures and regulations.”
‘Issues on Israel Side’
The official however acknowledged, “there are issues on the Israeli side, in terms of things they might want, which might not have been totally clear.”
The visit, the official added, was “highly constructive and productive.”
The Post said administration officials and Gallant “declined to discuss the specifics of their discussions.”
Gallant said “I believe that allies must do everything to solve issues in closed rooms,” adding “This is what I’m trying to do.”
Despite external pressure to restrict arms sales due to concerns over civilian casualties and damage in Gaza from the US-supplied weapons, the White House has remained publicly committed to Tel Aviv.
Ongoing Genocide
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 37,765 Palestinians have been killed, and 86,429 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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