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Israel receives 500th US military supply aircraft since 7 October

August 27, 2024 at 10:47 am

A view of the US-origin weapons and ammunition that were used by the Israeli Army in the ground operation following their withdrawal from Khan Yunis city where they carried out a ground attack for four months, in Khan Yunis, Gaza on May 16, 2024. [Photo by Anas Zeyad Fteha/Anadolu via Getty Images]

Israel said on Monday that it had received its 500th US military supply aircraft since the start of its war on the Gaza Strip last October, Anadolu has reported.

“The 500th aircraft in the joint airlift operation has landed in Israel,” said the ministry of defence. “The latest plane is part of a large-scale logistical effort that began with the outbreak of the recent war through which over 50,000 tons of military equipment have been delivered to Israel via 500 flights and 107 sea shipments.”

The ministry pointed out that the equipment procured and transported includes armoured vehicles, munitions, ammunition, personal protection gear, and medical equipment. “This has been crucial for sustaining the IDF’s [Israel Defence Forces] operational capabilities during the ongoing war.”

About two weeks ago, the US approved the sale of weapons to Israel in a deal worth $20 billion, including F-15 fighter jets, armoured vehicles, tank shells and air-to-air missiles. According to the US Defence Department in the Pentagon, the deal includes the sale of 100 F-15IA and F-15I aircraft, worth $18.82bn; 120 mm artillery shells worth $774.1 million, along with advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles worth up to $102.5m. The deal also includes modified M1148A1B2 tactical vehicles, worth $583.1m.

According to the Pentagon, the aircraft, vehicles and bombs will be delivered within the next two to five years, as most of the total costs of the deal will be paid from US aid money to the occupation state.

Israel is continuing its brutal offensive on Gaza which began after the cross-border incursion by Hamas last October. The onslaught has killed over 40,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded nearly 94,000 others, according to local health authorities. Vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the blockaded enclave. The apartheid state denies the allegation.

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