US artillery shells for Ukraine to be redirected to 'Israel': Axios

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Axios
19 Oct 2023 22:16

The ammunition originally intended for Ukraine was stored in storage sites in the occupied territories as a component of a bilateral agreement between the US and "Israel."

An Israeli mobile artillery unit fired a shell from southern Israel towards the besieged Gaza Strip, in a position near the separation barrier between Israeli-occupied territories and Gaza, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023 (AP)

A report by Axios on Thursday detailed that the Pentagon plans to send tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells to "Israel", shells that were originally designated for Ukraine from US emergency stocks, Axios reported.

According to three Israeli officials familiar with the matter, "Israel" requested these shells to prepare for a potential ground invasion in Gaza and to address the possibility of an escalation involving the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah, along the Palestine-Lebanon border.

US officials have claimed that diverting these shells to the Israeli regime would not immediately impact Ukraine's ability to fight Russian troops.

However, if the war on Gaza were to escalate into a broader regional conflict, the availability of US military supplies for Ukraine might be affected.

The ammunition originally intended for Ukraine was stored in storage sites in the occupied territories as a component of a bilateral agreement between the US and "Israel."

While only US military personnel can access the storage sites, "Israel" can use this ammunition during wartime with US approval.

This arrangement was previously utilized by "Israel" during the 2006 war on Lebanon and the 2014 war on Gaza.

A US military official declined to provide specific details about the weapons being sent to "Israel".

Instead, they highlighted the Department of Defense and the US Transportation Command's strong global deployment and distribution capabilities, which can continue to support "Israel" and other countries.

"We are engaged in comprehensive coordination across the Department of Defense. This includes working closely with our combatant commands to ascertain which munitions and equipment from the US inventory can be quickly made available for Israel's needs," the US military official said.