Hamas condemns US 'emergency' sale of munitions to Israel

GAZA STRIP: The Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers on Saturday condemned the US approval of a $147.5 million sale of high-explosive artillery munitions and related equipment to Israel.

The United States announced the sale of the 155mm artillery munitions on Friday under an emergency provision that waives the normal requirement for a congressional review.

Hamas said the sale was "clear evidence of the American administration's full sponsorship of this criminal war".

Nearly 200 killed in 24 hours as Israel intensifies air, ground offensives in Gaza

President Joe Biden's administration "conspicuously aligns itself with and actively supports all atrocities perpetrated" by Israel, the group said in a statement.

Those wartime atrocities, it added, have led to the "ruthless killing of children and civilians, forced displacement of residents, and the systematic destruction of civilian life" in Gaza.

Israel launched a fierce military campaign against Hamas in Gaza after the the Palestinian group carried out an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7.

The attack left about 1,140 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Israel's Gaza offensive since then has killed at least 21,672 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

As civilian deaths mount in Gaza, the United States' international image has taken a beating over its continued backing for Israel.

Earlier this month, the United States used the same emergency provision to approve the sale of nearly 14,000 rounds of 120mm tank ammunition to Israel.

Israel requested that 155mm fuses, primers and charges be added to previous foreign military sale cases, increasing their estimated total cost from $96.51 million to $147.5 million and requiring a new notification, according to a statement from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The secretary of state has determined that "an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the government of Israel", the statement said.