WASHINGTON:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has authorised the sale to Israel of 155 mm artillery shells and associated tools with out congressional assessment, the Pentagon stated on Friday.
Blinken decided that an emergency exists that requires the speedy sale to Israel, thereby waiving congressional assessment necessities, in accordance with the Pentagon.
The sale comes as Israel intensifies its offensive within the Gaza Strip. The US has pressed Israel to attenuate civilian casualties in Gaza and has known as for it to scale down the warfare in coming weeks.
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The Pentagon stated Israel has requested that fuses, primers and expenses be included in a earlier request for 155mm shells. The estimated complete worth of the sale is $147.5 million.
That is the second time this month the Biden administration has skipped congressional assessment of a weapons sale to Israel. On Dec. 9, the administration used the emergency authority to permit the sale of about 14,000 tank shells to Israel.