2023-12-30 12:11:37
Government approved the sale of high-explosive artillery material and equipment totaling US$147.5 million, under a provision that does not require Congressional review
ISRAELI ARMY / AFP Israeli soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip amid the conflict with Hamas
Os USA announced this Friday, 29, the approval of the sale to Israel of 155mm high-explosive artillery rounds and related equipment worth $147.5 million, under an emergency provision that waives congressional review. The same provision was used earlier this month to approve the sale of nearly 14,000 rounds of 120mm tank ammunition to Israel, which is facing Hamas in the Gaza Strip in a highly destructive conflict that began with a surprise attack by Palestinian fighters. in October. Israel requested the inclusion of fuses, decoys and 155 mm charges in previous cases of military sales abroad, raising their estimated total cost from US$96.51 (R$467 million) to US$147.5 million (R$714 million) and requiring a new notification, the United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
The Secretary of State determined that “there is an emergency that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel” of these weapons, thus waiving the normal requirement for congressional review, according to the statement, which states that the munitions will come from the United States Army inventory. . The latest round of conflict between Israel and Hamas began when the Palestinian militant group carried out an attack from Gaza on October 7, killing around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to Israeli figures. Following the attack, the United States rushed to send military aid to Israel, which has waged a relentless campaign in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 21,507 people, mostly women and children, according to the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-ruled territory. .
*With information from the AFP agency
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