Israel: US shipments of arms and equipment exceeds 50,000 tons during Gaza war

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Since the war in Gaza last October, since the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion and terror attack on communities in southern Israel, the United States has delivered more than 50,000 tons of armaments and other military equipment to Israel, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Monday.

Five hundred transport planes and 107 ships have delivered the equipment, which includes “armored vehicles, munitions, ammunition, personal protection gear and medical equipment.”

The Defense Ministry stated that the deliveries are “crucial for sustaining the IDF’s operational capabilities during the ongoing war,” and that the “large-scale logistical effort” has been carried out by the Defense Ministry's Directorate of Production and Procurement, the ministry’s mission to the United States, the IDF’s Planning Directorate, and the Israeli Air Force (IAF).

The statement comes just weeks after reports that the State of Israel plans to begin developing and locally producing heavy bombs, including an alternative to the American 2,000-pound MK-84 bomb, a decision precipitated by the withholding of bombs by the U.S. out of concern for their use against Palestinian civilians.

The new production lines, once developed, will reportedly produce small quantities of bombs during peacetime, with the capacity to rapidly increase output during emergency situations. It is estimated to take between two and three years to develop local production of the bombs in Israel.

According to the Israel Hayom news outlet, the suspended U.S. shipment of the heavy 2,000-pound bombs is still frozen but could be released soon.

In May, an anonymous official from the U.S. administration of President Joe Biden confirmed that a delivery of 1,800 units of 2,000-pound MK-84 bombs and another 1,700 units of 500-pound bombs was being delayed.

Later, following statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Biden administration was withholding arms from Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken officially confirmed the delay over concerns about their use in the densely-populated Gaza Strip.

The Biden administration has faced repeated calls for an arms embargo against Israel, calls that resurfaced during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, earlier this month when 30 DNC delegates from the “Uncommitted” movement called for withholding arms and military equipment from the Jewish state.

Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has so far resisted calls for an arms embargo against Israel. At the DNC, she said she supports Israel's right to defend itself.

“Let me be clear: I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel can defend itself,” Harris declared.

She then added: “At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives, hungry people fleeing to safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”

“President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination,” Harris added.

Earlier this month, Blinken approved a weapons sale to Israel worth approximately $20 billion. The sale includes F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), tank ammunition, mortar rounds and tactical vehicles.