Washington has approved $6.67bn in United States arms sales to Israel amid a fragile ceasefire in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
The US Department of State said on Friday that Israel has been cleared to buy US-made weapons, including 30 Apache attack helicopters for $3.8bn and infantry assault vehicles to a value of $1.98bn.
The Apache helicopters will be sold to Israel by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the Reuters news agency reports. A third military contract was also awarded for $740m, according to Reuters, and another $150m will be spent on light utility helicopters.
Israeli forces have widely used Apache helicopters to fire on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, where at least 71,662 people have been killed in Israel’s war on the enclave since October 2023, according to Gaza health officials.
“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-defense capability,” the State Department said in a statement on Friday.
“This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the department said.
The US also sends billions of dollars worth of military supplies each year to Israel, weaponry which is largely sent as aid rather than sales.
Rights groups and United Nations experts have consistently called on the US to halt weapons shipments to Israel, which they say fuelled Israel’s ability to wage a genocidal war in Gaza.
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