Tel Aviv: The first shipment of advanced US weapons and equipment have landed in Israel to boost the US ally in its war with Hamas, the Israel Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday. The video footage and images released by Israel's Ministry of Defence showed the landing of a cargo plane that delivered the initial shipment of equipment procured and brought to the country through a joint operation.
The Ministry of Defence's Directorate of Production and Procurement, the US Procurement Mission, and the International Transportation Unit within the Israel Defence Ministry in the operation oversaw the mobilisation of the cargo plane, ensuring the direct transport of armaments from the US, Mayan Lazarovich from the Ministry of Defence Spokesperson's Office, said in a statement.
Washington on Tuesday said it had already begun delivering critically needed munitions and military equipment to Israel, and the Pentagon was reviewing inventories to see what else could be sent quickly to boost its ally. A senior Defence Department official on Monday said planes had already taken off to deliver the weapons whose details were not provided.
The weapons movement came as President Joe Biden announced that the US death toll in Israel has gone up to 14. In addition to the 14 American citizens, Biden confirmed on Tuesday that Americans are known to be among the hostages held by Hamas after its rampage over the weekend, delivering an emotional and angered denunciation of the terror and making clear he expected a forceful reprisal by Israel.
The president delivered vivid descriptions of the atrocities carried out by the militants, saying they had butchered and massacred innocent people. The known number of Americans killed now stands at 14, Biden said. It's abhorrent, he said. The brutality of Hamas' bloodthirstiness brings to mind the worst rampages of ISIS.
"We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and respond to this attack," Biden said. Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said later on Tuesday that the administration believes there are 20 or more Americans believed to be missing from Israel, but that that number does not necessarily reflect the number of hostages in Hamas custody.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told CNN that the White House was having active conversations with Israel to try to bring American citizens in Hamas custody home. The brazen attack by Hamas and Israel's response has left more than 1,100 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.
