The Pentagon confirmed the Israeli military had requested additional ammunition to restock its dwindling supplies on July 20, with the US Defense Department approving the sale just three days later. The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement. This defense sale is consistent with those objectives. Two of the requested munitions came from a little-known stockpile of ammunition stored by the US military on the ground in Israel for emergency use. The War Reserve Stockpile Ammunition-Israel is estimated to be worth $1 billion. The decision to provide ammunition to Israel could fuel controversy, coming just as Washington expresses growing concern about the deaths of more than 1,300 Palestinians, most of them civilians, since the Israeli operation began on July 8. Kirby said Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel told his Israeli counterpart that the United States was concerned about the deadly consequences of the spiraling conflict, including a worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, and called for a ceasefire and end to hostilities. He also renewed calls for the disarmament of Gazas Hamas rulers and all terrorist groups. Relations between Israel and its staunch ally the United States have plunged in recent days after Kerry returned from a mission to the Middle East to try to broker a ceasefire between the Israelis and Hamas militants. Anonymous Israeli officials have hit out at Kerrys truce proposal, calling it a strategic terrorist attack and criticizing it for being a Hamas wish-list including moves to lift a long-standing Israeli blockade of Gaza while failing to address Israels security concerns, such as Hamas rocket fire and a network of underground tunnels. And on Tuesday a fabricated transcript of a call between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went viral on social media. Stressing the unprecedented US support for Israel, Harf hit out at Israeli elites offensive and absurd claims that Kerry backs Hamas. She rubbished the fake transcript as complete crap, adding theres clearly people ... who are putting out false and defamatory and absurd information. I dont know what else you can assume about the intentions except that theyre designed to hurt our relationship, she added. Washington, which has provided billions in military aid to Israel, including funding the Iron Dome shield protecting the country from Hamas rockets, was very committed to Israels security, which is why these vicious attacks on the secretary are just crazy, she added. And US lawmakers are working on a package of additional military support from Washington to commit $225 million for the Iron Dome missile defense shield. More than 100 people died in Israeli strikes across Gaza Wednesday, medics said, including 17 at a crowded marketplace, sending the Palestinian toll from the 23 days of fighting to 1,363. On the Israeli side, the conflict has cost the lives of 56 Israeli soldiers, and two civilians, as well as that of a Thai national.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 13:04:21 +0000
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