US bypasses Congress to approve sale of artillery shells to Israel

(Patria) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the sale of 155 mm artillery shells and associated equipment to Israel without congressional review, the Pentagon said on Friday.

Blinken determined that an emergency exists requiring an immediate sale to Israel, waiving congressional review requirements, the Pentagon said, as reported by Reuters.

The sale comes as Israel intensifies its offensive in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. has pressured Israel to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza and called on it to scale back the war in the coming weeks.

The Pentagon said Israel requested that fuses, primers, and charges be included in a previous request for 155 mm shells. The estimated total value of the sale is $147.5 million.

This is the second time this month that the Biden administration has bypassed congressional review of arms sales to Israel.

On December 9, the administration used emergency authority to allow the sale of about 14,000 tank shells to Israel.