US Supplies Arms, Munitions To Israel

The US is keen on helping Israel to tap on local US arms stockpile to resupply it with grenades and mortar rounds, an unidentified US defense official said to Reuters on Thursday.

Reuters reported that the official did not offer further details on quantities or costs of ammunition already supplied or requested by Israel.

Late Wednesday, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a written statement that the decision to supply arms from the stockpile was “strictly a sourcing decision and White House approval was not required.”

The United States is also providing other kinds of ammunition as part of the sale, but officials did not provide details on types or quantities sought, or the value of the transaction.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” Kirby said. “This defense sale is consistent with those objectives.”

"They didn't ask for it from there but we gave it to them so we could rotate our stocks," the official said, according to Reuters.

Additional Israeli requests for U.S.-manufactured ammunition were also being processed in the United States, the official said, Reuters reported.

Israel did not cite an emergency when it made its latest request about 10 days ago, the defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, according to Reuters.