The 14,000 rounds are part of a larger sale that the Biden administration is asking Congress to approve.
The U.S. government used emergency authority to authorize the sale of about 14,000 tank shells to Israel without congressional review, the Pentagon said.
The State Department on Friday used an emergency declaration under the Arms Export Control Act to have tank rounds worth $106.5 million delivered immediately to Israel, a the Pentagon said in a statement on Saturday.
The shells are part of a larger sale that the Biden administration is asking Congress to approve. The largest batch, worth more than $500 million, includes 45,000 shells intended for Israeli Merkava tanks, regularly deployed as part of its Gaza offensive, which has killed thousands of civilians.
At least 17,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, and more than 48,800 have been injured.
The United States on Friday vetoed a UN Security Council request for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The vote came after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took a rare step Wednesday to formally warn the 15-member council of the global threat posed by the two-month war.
As the war intensifies, exactly how and where U.S. weapons are used in the conflict has come under greater scrutiny, although U.S. officials say there are no plans to condition military aid to Israel or consider suspending it.
Human rights advocates expressed concern over the sale, saying it did not fit with Washington’s efforts to pressure Israel to minimize civilian casualties.
A State Department official said Saturday that Washington continues to make clear to the Israeli government that it must comply with international law and take all possible measures to avoid harming civilians.
The proposed sale demonstrates the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security and will strengthen Israel’s defensive capabilities, the official said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined and provided detailed justification to Congress that the tank shells should be immediately provided to Israel in the interests of US national security, according to the Pentagon statement.
The sale will be sourced from the US Army inventory and includes M830A1 Multi-Purpose 120mm High Explosive Anti-Tank Tank Cartridges with Tracer (MPAT) and related equipment.
“Israel will use this enhanced capability to deter regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense,” the Pentagon said, adding that the sale would have no negative impact on U.S. defense readiness.
Israeli Merkava tanks, which use 120mm shells, have also been linked to incidents resulting in the deaths of journalists.
On Thursday, an investigation by the Reuters news agency found that an Israeli tank crew killed journalist Issam Abdallah and injured six journalists by firing two shells in quick succession from Israel as the journalists filmed cross-border shelling.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, at least 63 journalists have been killed, including 56 Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese nationals, according to media watchdog the Journalists’ Protest Committee.
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