US this week approved transfer of thousands of bombs to Israel, official says

Reuters
·1 min read
131
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States granted approval this week for the transfer of thousands of additional bombs to Israel although they will not be delivered until at least next year, a Biden administration official said on Thursday.

The official said the approved transfer included 1,000 MK82 500-pound bombs, more than 1,000 small-diameter bombs and fuses for MK80 bombs.

The U.S. has continued to supply its ally Israel with weapons despite growing criticism of the war in Gaza.

On Monday - the same day as the approvals - Israel carried out a strike on Gaza that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers. Washington has expressed outrage at the attacks and called for Israel to swiftly investigate.

A second U.S. official said the Israeli strike happened much later in the day on Monday than the approvals.

The first official said the munitions were drawn from authorizations to send arms to Israel approved long ago and will not be delivered before 2025.

The Washington Post reported the approvals earlier on Thursday.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis in Washington and Simon Lewis in Brussels, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)