Israel to get 3,000 smart bombs, part of US military aid – reports

November 30, 2014 in News by RBN Staff

Source: RT

Published time: November 29, 2014 11:01
Edited time: November 30, 2014 17:23

Reuters / Baz Ratner

Reuters / Baz Ratner

The US will reportedly be supplying Israel with 3,000 smart bombs, similar to those which killed over 2,100 Palestinians during the latest Israeli operation against Gaza, reported regional media citing the US Department of Defense.

READ MORE: Flood leaves Gaza in ruins, UN declares state of emergency

Funding for the bombs will come from US military aid to Israel, the International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC) reported, adding that the munitions will be paid off by the end of November 2016.

The cost of the shipment is estimated to be around $82 million, IMEMC cited local Palestinian agency Al Ray as saying.

Media agencies including Haaretz and Press TV reported the announcement, but the information couldn’t be verified with the Department of Defense website, which made no mention of the plans.

The shipment of smart bombs, otherwise known as precision-guided munitions, will include the J-Dam system, which works with GPS technology to pinpoint exact target locations, Haaretz reported.

The Israeli Air Force used similar bombs this summer during Operation Protective Edge, which killed over 2,100 Palestinians.

In the meantime, an increasing amount of evidence has come to light about UK-made military equipment being used by Israel during the recent conflict.

READ MORE: Business as usual: UK arms factories ‘profit’ from Palestinian bloodshed

Britain’s arms trade relations with Israel are extremely lucrative, according to the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT), a London-based NGO dedicated to tackling the global arms industry’s impact on human rights.

Since 2010, British authorities have presided over the sale of £42 million ($65.7 million) worth of military produce to the Middle Eastern state. On an annual basis, the British government grants up to £15 million worth of licenses to UK defense firms for the export of military equipment to Israel.