US Will Sell Israel Munitions, Bombs And Missiles In $1.8 Billion Deal

The United States Defense Department approved a proposed deal on Tuesday that will sell more than $1.8 billion in munitions, bombs and missiles to Israel. The deal is intended for Israel's self-defense needs and is perhaps a re-stocking of supplies after the summer's Gaza war, according to Hareetz. The details of the sale, approved by the Pentagon, were sent to be reviewed by Congress this week, the Times of Israel reported.

The arms agreement will send precision munitions and bombs to the Israeli Air Force, including 14,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), which is a GPS system that attaches to bombs -- dropped by fighter jets -- to increase accuracy, reported Hareetz. The U.S. will also sell Israel 8,000 bombs that work with the the JDAM system. The deal also reportedly includes powerful bunker-busting bombs, air-to-air missiles and 3,000 hellfire helicopter-fired missiles. The hellfire missiles were a part of an August deal that was delayed after White House and State Department officials reportedly found that the Pentagon was sending supplies to Israel without its approval, Hareetz reported.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which deals with major arms agreements, said the proposed deal intended to boost Israel's self-defense abilities and to increase cooperation between the the two countries.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” reads a DSCA statement. Everything included in the deal is already stocked in Israel's military inventory, according to the statement.