By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) – Israel Friday revealed it received at least 1,000 tons of arms since the start of the war in Gaza on Oct. 07 amid US military support to Tel Aviv.
The Defense Ministry said in a written statement that the Israeli defense establishment received the 45th cargo plane early today.
“Around 1,000 tons of armaments have arrived to bolster IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) capabilities,” the statement said, without revealing the source of arms shipments to Israel.
The statement comes as Washington has extended military support to Tel Aviv in its war against Palestinian resistance group Hamas that killed thousands of Palestinian civilians. US President Joe Biden has said he will send Congress “an urgent budget request” on Friday to fund America's national security needs to support its “critical partners,” including Israel and Ukraine.
The fresh supplies also included military ambulances, medical equipment, and various other resources aimed at enhancing readiness capabilities, the statement said.
Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Qudra said Friday that at least 16 Palestinian Christians were among those killed in direct Israeli attacks on a Greek Orthodox church on Thursday evening in Gaza City.
Qudra added the death toll in Gaza due to Israel's ongoing bombardment has climbed to 4,137, including 1,524 children and 1,000 women.
The number of injured has risen to 13,300, he told a news conference, adding that over 1,000 others are missing.
The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment and blockade since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.
The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, along with stepping up raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank.
Officials have said more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed in the conflict.