The US has approved a $510 million sale of munitions guidance kits and related support to Israel, the State Department announced.
The potential sale includes 3,845 KMU-558B/B Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for BLU-109 bomb bodies and 3,280 KMU-572 F/B JDAM kits for MK 82 bomb bodies, along with associated engineering, logistics, and technical support, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement on Monday.
"This proposed sale will enhance Israel's capability to meet current and future threats by improving its ability to defend its borders, vital infrastructure, and population centers," the DSCA said.
"The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives."
The statement added that the implementation of the sale won't "alter the basic military balance in the region" and won't require the assignment of additional US government or contractor representatives to Israel.
Carnage continues
The announcement comes as Israel continues its brutal carnage in besieged Gaza and as US President Donald Trump presses for a ceasefire.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier that Netanyahu had "expressed interest" in a meeting with Trump and that both sides were "working on a date."
"This has been a priority for the president since he took office, to end this brutal war in Gaza," Leavitt told reporters in a briefing.
"It's heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war, and the president wants to see it end."
Israel has killed over 56,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in its carnage in the blockaded enclave since October 7, 2023.
Some 11,000 Palestinians are feared buried under rubble of annihilated homes, according to Palestine's official WAFA news agency.
Experts, however, contend that the actual death toll significantly exceeds what the Gaza authorities have reported, estimating it could be around 200,000.
Over the course of the genocide, Israel reduced most of Gaza to ruins and practically displaced all of its population.
On Monday alone, at least 97 Palestinians were killed and several others wounded as Israeli air strikes and artillery targeted multiple locations across Gaza, including areas sheltering displaced civilians.
Washington allocates $3.8 billion in annual military funding to its long-standing ally Israel.
Since October 2023, the US has spent more than $22 billion supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza and wars in neighbouring countries.
Despite senior US officials criticising Israel regarding the high civilian death toll in Gaza, Washington has, thus far, resisted calls to place conditions on any arms transfers.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
