US rushing air defences, munitions and security aid to Israel, defence official says
- ‘Planes have already taken off,’ the official said, adding that Washington was looking at the US military’s own stockpiles to help fill Israeli gaps
- The official appeared to dismiss concerns that the US might struggle to supply Israel at the same time that it funnels weaponry to Ukraine
The US military is “surging” fresh supplies of air defences, munitions and other security aid to Israel to help it respond to an unprecedented weekend attack by Hamas, a senior US defence official said on Monday.
“Planes have already taken off,” the US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to Pentagon reporters.
“We are surging support to Israel … We remain in constant ongoing contact with our counterparts in Israel to determine and then support their most urgent requirements.”
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“We are able to continue our support both to Ukraine, to Israel, and maintain our own global readiness,” the official said.
The senior US official compared the attack by Hamas to “Isis-level savagery,” a characterisation echoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also said on Monday that Hamas’ attack mirrored those carried out by the jihadist group Islamic State.