US ramping up ammunition and missile shipments to Israel amid Gaza war: Report

The military aid Washington is surging to its ally also includes laser-guided missiles for Apache attack helicopters, 155mm artillery shells, night-vision devices, bunker-buster bombs, and new army vehicles.

“As of late October, for example, all 36,000 rounds of 30mm cannon ammunition, 1,800 of the requested M141 bunker-buster munitions and at least 3,500 night-vision devices were delivered,” the report added.

According to the document, which is labelled “Israel Senior Leader” and dated late October, the arms are already being shipped or will soon be made available from stockpiles in the US and Europe.

The Joe Biden administration has provided unconditional support to Israel amid the war, but has been relatively quiet on the type of armaments it is sending, acknowledging mainly the delivery of Iron Dome interceptors.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration informed Congress it plans to transfer precision guided Spice Bombs to Israel for its warplanes.

The new document suggests military support is even broader, and that it is holding up as the administration comes under increasing pressure to call for a ceasefire within the Democratic party.

The damning report comes as Israel continues to bombard the besieged Gaza Strip, with rights advocates having urged Washington, which annually gives Tel Aviv $3.8bn in military assistance, to stop providing unequivocal support to the Israeli regime and end its weapons transfers.

In a letter on Monday, more than 30 relief organizations wrote to Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin to dissuade him from sending Israel the 155mm shells over the extent of their “collateral damage.”

“In Gaza, one of the world’s most densely populated places, 155mm artillery shells are inherently indiscriminate,” the organizations said, adding, “These munitions are unguided and have a high error radius,” as they often land 25 meters away from the intended target.

Israel waged the brutal war on Gaza on October 7 after Palestinian resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity.

Since the start of the war, the Tel Aviv regime has claimed the lives of at least 11,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left upwards of 29,000 others wounded.

The Israeli regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there in abject misery.