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U.S. to Give Israel Munitions Initially Earmarked for Ukraine: Report

The artillery shells are part of a weapons stockpile that the U.S. keeps in Israel.

A stockpile of American ammunition designated earlier this year for use by Ukrainian troops will instead be given to Israel, three Israeli officials familiar with the Pentagon’s planning told Axios. The move will see the Israeli military receive “tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells,” the outlet reported Thursday, in preparation for an expected full-scale invasion of besieged Gaza. Israeli authorities also told the U.S. the shells could be used as clashes with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Islamist movement, escalate along the border Israel shares with Lebanon. U.S. officials have indicated they do not believe gifting the shells to Israel would immediately impact Ukraine’s ability to continue fighting Russian forces, according to Axios. The arms will not have far to travel, as they are reportedly set to come from a stockpile the U.S. keeps in Israel. It was first reported by The New York Times in January that 300,000 rounds in the stockpile had been earmarked for use in Ukraine.