US made some 100 covert arms deals with 'Israel' since Oct. 7: Report
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The Washington Post says the United States approved and made some 100 arms deals under the table with the Israeli occupation since October 7.
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Israeli soldiers from the artillery unit store tank shells in a staging area in the Gaza envelope in southern occupied Palestine, January 1, 2024 (AP)
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the United States has clandestinely approved and executed more than 100 arms deals and foreign military sales to the Israeli regime since the onset of the war on Gaza in October.
According to the newspaper, this figure encompasses thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker-busting bombs, small arms, and other lethal supplies, as disclosed by US officials in a recent classified briefing to Congress.
This undisclosed number serves as the latest indicator of Washington's extensive involvement in the ongoing conflict in Gaza over the past five months, the newspaper notes.
The Post confirms that only two foreign military sales to the Israeli occupation have been publicly disclosed since the conflict began.
The sales in question include tank ammunition valued at $106 million and $147.5 million in components for manufacturing 155mm artillery shells.
These sales have raised concerns for a broader examination, as the Biden administration bypassed Congressional approval for the packages by invoking emergency powers.
The spokesperson for the US State Department announced in late February that the US President issued NSM-20 on February 8. This document represents a new global policy allegedly aimed at strengthening safeguards and accountability for arms transfers, the spokesperson told Al Mayadeen.
The new policy mandates that all partners receiving US-funded arms, under security assistance and cooperation authorities, must provide written assurances. These assurances include a commitment to using the weapons and equipment in compliance with the law of war, as well as facilitating the delivery of US and US-supported humanitarian aid in war zones.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council told Al Mayadeen that the National Security Memorandum on Safeguards and Accountability regarding military equipment and services sent to others does not stipulate imposing new measures as far as military aid is concerned. Rather, it merely demands guarantees of compliance with existing controls.
He further claimed that the memorandum includes measures that have been applied to “Israel” for a long time and that it also applies to all the countries that the United States supplies with weapons, pursuant to American law.
