US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has approved the sale of 155mm artillery shells and other equipment to Israel without congressional review, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Blinken decided that there was an emergency that required an immediate sale to Israel, a situation that eliminated the need for congressional review, according to the Pentagon.
The sale comes at a time when Israel is intensifying its attack on the Gaza Strip. The United States put pressure on the Israelis to reduce civilian casualties in the Strip, and called on the allies to ease their attack in the coming weeks.
The Pentagon said that Israel requested the inclusion of fuses, explosives and charges in a previous request for 155 mm artillery. The total sale value is estimated at $147.5 million. This is the second time this month that the Biden administration has circumvented Congress to sell weapons to Israel. On December 9, the United States used emergency authority to sell about 14,000 tank shells to the Israelis.
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