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(i24news) With the recent US announcement of that the Pentagon put on hold a shipment of 'Hellfire' missiles to Israel as a warning to Jerusalem, the country is turning to other arms and munition sources to acquire new weapons.
Israel purchased hundreds of Russian-made shoulder-fire missiles in recent years, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Monday, although most weapons the army uses are produced locally. A significant portion of the IDF's weapons is acquired with the use of American funds, totaling over $3 billion per year.
According to the report, a quarter of the weapons and munitions manufactured in Israel is destined for army use while the rest is exported.
The Defense Ministry has remained vague with regards to its arms trade, but several reports submitted to the UN's Register of Conventional Arms reveal much on the matter. Ukraine for instance sold Israel 193 missiles and 32 launchers, of which many were Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles.
Other countries have also sold Russian-made arms, including the Czech Republic, which in 2006 sold Tochka tactical missile systems to Israel. In 2004, Bulgaria sold Israel six 130 mm artillery systems.
Overall, however, an expert told Haaretz that Israel still purchased the vast majority of its weapons from the US and that other acquisitions are "negligible."
Britain and Spain were also reevaluating their arms sales to Israel, with Spain instituting a freeze after having sold five million euros of military equipment to the country last year.
Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed senior officials, reported that the White house had requested that the Pentagon put on hold a shipment of 'Hellfire' missiles Israel had requested and instructed them to "consult with policy makers at the White House and the State Department before approving any additional requests."
According to the report, the key moment took place when the administration learned that the US had released tank and artillery ammunition to Israel on the same day that the IDF struck a UN school, where thousands of Gazans were being sheltered. Though the transfer followed proper procedures -- the weapons were being held in US bunkers located within Israel -- State Department officials said they felt that they were "blindsided" by the news.
US policymakers, were apparently fine with equipping the IDF with defensive equipment, especially the jointly funded and widely touted Iron Dome, but were concerned about the transfer of weapons of a more offensive nature. They were reportedly particularly worried by the IDF's widespread use of artillery that provided cover for Israel's ground incursion into Gaza, because of its less precise nature and higher risk of hurting innocent civilians.
