US freezing delivery of bulldozers to 'Israel' over Gaza demolitions
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The United States is suspending the provision of D9 bulldozers to the Israeli occupation, which have been used by "Israel" to demolish countless Palestinian and Lebanese homes.
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A man waves the Palestinian flag as a convoy of Israeli military bulldozers drive by during an army raid in Jenin, the occupied West Bank, occupied Palestine, Monday, September 2, 2024 (AP)
The United States has halted the delivery of 130 bulldozers to "Israel" amid ongoing home demolitions in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli Security Ministry had recently signed a significant contract with American machinery manufacturer Caterpillar to acquire approximately 130 D9 bulldozers. However, US authorities froze the deal over concerns about the equipment’s use in demolishing Palestinian homes in Gaza.
The report cites Israeli security sources stating that the Israeli occupation had already paid for the bulldozers but was still awaiting export approval from the US State Department. This suspension wildly affects the Israeli occupation forces, as it hinders their operational goals of demolishing homes and further—perhaps permanently—displacing Palestinians.
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The Israeli occupation forces have been conducting ground operations in southern Lebanon for more than a month, increasing the need for additional D9 bulldozers as they are being destroyed by Resistance fighters on the Lebanon, Gaza and West Bank fronts.
Impeding US operations
The delay in delivery has reportedly impeded the Israeli occupation's plan to establish a buffer zone between Gaza and the Naqab desert, a project that involves the destruction of hundreds of Palestinian structures and agricultural areas along the Gaza border.
Alongside the bulldozer shipment freeze, Washington has also held back a portion of a heavy bomb shipment to "Israel". According to the Israeli daily, the IOF had ordered around 1,300 bombs from American aerospace company Boeing, each weighing nearly a ton.
While half of the shipment has reportedly been delivered, the remainder is still stored in US facilities. The decision was attributed to concerns over potential harm to civilians in Gaza if these bombs were deployed.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation has conducted extensive military operations in Gaza despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. The ongoing assault has led to the deaths of over 43,600 people and has caused severe destruction across the territory, leaving much of Gaza nearly uninhabitable.
Why the concern now?
The Israeli occupation forces have been destroying civilian infrastructure for over a year now, and the United States has not had an issue thus far. In fact, back in July, The New York Times reported that Washington had sent "Israel" a substantial quantity of weaponry since October 7, including over 20,000 unguided bombs, approximately 2,600 guided bombs, and 3,000 precision missiles. The US has also provided "Israel" aircraft, ammunition, and air defense systems.
Many of these transfers were kept secret or remained partially confidential, the report notes.
An analysis by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in the spring found that the arms supplied up to March constituted "an enormous number and variety of weapons," which have been vital in supporting "Israel's" security apparatus.
The analysis also suggested that "it seems unlikely that Israel could attain across-the-board weapons and munitions self-sufficiency anytime soon," with some experts believing it may never be able to do so.
Even US President Joe Biden admitted back in March that the Israeli occupation was using US-supplied weapons to kill civilians in Gaza.
