THE United States has approved a foreign military sale comprising of "emergency" bulldozers and nearly $3 billion of munitions to Israel.
Approved by the US state secretary, the arms package encompass bombs, demolition kits, and other weaponry, aimed at bolstering Israel's defence capabilities against current and future threats.
It comes as Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Hamas called it part of Israel’s “starvation policy”.
In a statement, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) confirmed that the request includes “spare and repair parts; corrosion protection; publications and technical documentation; pre-delivery inspections; U.S. Government and contractor support; technical and logistics support services; storage; and other related elements of logistics and program support.”
The delivery of parts are expected to commence in 2027.
In a statement, the state department justified the decision, stating that “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defence articles and defence services in the national security interests of the United States.”
The DSCA said: “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defence capability.”
They added that “the proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”
The bulldozers, known for their use in military engineering and combat support roles, will be incorporated into the Israeli Ground Forces.
Contractors for the deal include General Dynamics, Ellwood National Forge Company, and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.
Israel last week suspended supplies of goods to the territory of more than two million Palestinians, an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of the war.
It has sought to force Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire – a phase which ended last weekend.
Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.
Hamas has pressed to start negotiations on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase instead, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace.
Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.
The militant group on Sunday said it wrapped up the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changes to its position, calling for an immediate start of the ceasefire’s second phase.
The new letter from Israel’s energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation tells it to stop selling power to Gaza. Israel had warned when it stopped all goods supplies that water and electricity could be next.
The territory and its infrastructure have been largely devastated, and most facilities including hospitals, now use generators.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam said that Israel has “practically” cut off electricity since the war began and called the latest decision part of Israel’s “starvation policy, in clear disregard for all international laws and norms”.
The desalination plant was providing 18,000 cubic meters of water per day for central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area, according to Gisha, an Israeli organisation dedicated to protecting Palestinians’ right to freedom of movement.
Executive director Tania Hary said that it is expected to run on generators and produce around 2500 cubic meters per day, about the amount in an Olympic swimming pool.
Israel’s restrictions on fuel entering Gaza have a larger impact, Hary said, and water shortages are a looming issue because fuel is needed for distribution trucks.
Israel has faced sharp criticism over suspending supplies.
