US approves 3 bln USD arms sales to Israel

The US State Department has approved potential arms sales to Israel totaling about $US3 billion, the Pentagon said Friday.

The packages, notified to Congress under emergency procedures, bypass standard legislative review processes.

The US State Department said it had authorized a 2.04-billion-dollar arms deal with Israel, including 35,529 general-purpose bomb bodies for 2,000-pound bombs and 4,000 bunker-busting 2,000-pound warheads.

Deliveries are estimated to begin in 2026. But there is a possibility that a portion of this procurement may come from US stock, potentially allowing for immediate delivery of some munitions, according to a Pentagon statement.

The second deal on 1,000-pound bombs and guidance kits, valued at 675.7 million dollars, is scheduled to be delivered in 2028.

The third one is a 295-million-dollar deal on Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers, which is scheduled to be delivered in 2027.

This marked the second emergency arms approval to Israel this month without congressional review.

US arms sales followed a fragile ceasefire last month that paused 15 months of hostilities between Israel and Hamas.

An Israeli delegation proposed in Cairo extending the first stage of the Gaza ceasefire agreement for an additional 42 days, an informed Egyptian security source told Xinhua on Friday.

The talks have yet to address the second stage of the deal, which seeks to end the war in Gaza, and secure the complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Earlier on Friday, Hamas called on the international community to pressure Israel to enter the second phase of the Gaza peace deal immediately, with the 42-day initial phase of the three-stage agreement set to expire on Saturday.