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Hamas says US arms support for Tel Aviv makes it accessory to Israeli aggression

Sunday, 01 August 2021 2:21 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 01 August 2021 2:21 PM ]

The file photo shows an Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir stealth multi-role fighter jet.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says continuing political, financial, and arms support by the United States for Israel makes Washington an accessory to ceaseless aggression by the Tel Aviv regime against Palestinians.

In a statement on Saturday, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem stressed that Washington’s decision to have a fresh major arms deal with Tel Aviv would encourage the regime to press ahead with its aggression and terrorism against Palestinians, their land, and holy sites.

“The US decision to present a massive arms deal to the Israeli occupation encourages it to continue its aggression against our Palestinian people and their holy sites, intensify its terror against the Palestinians and steal their land,” Hamas official said.

The statement came just a day after the US-based Breaking Defense military news outlet said that the US State Department just approved the potential sale of 18 Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters to the Israeli regime in a Foreign Military Sales deal worth about $3.4 billion.

The helicopter deal would come with 60 T408-GE-400 Engines and a mix of communications equipment, GAU-21 .50 caliber machine guns, and mission systems, it further said, adding that major weapons maker Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor.

Other US-based military news outlets further reported on Saturday that the Israeli regime has also requested 36 embedded global positioning systems and inertial navigation systems with selective availability and anti-spoofing modules.

The deal would also include engines, weaponry, support equipment, spares, and technical support.

US clears sale of 18 military copters to Israeli regime amid demands for more

US approves the sale of 18 Sikorsky CH-53K military helicopters to the Israeli regime amid demands from Tel Aviv for more American weaponry in case of a renewed US deal with Iran as pledged by the Biden administration.

“The continued US arming of the Israeli occupation army heightens tensions in the region and emboldens the Israeli occupation to continue violating international laws and resolutions,” the Hamas spokesman further said.

“The US support to the Israeli occupation policies with weapons, money, and political cover makes the US an accomplice in Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people,” Qasem added.

Friday’s announcement of the deal reportedly represents the fifth US weapons sales to the Israeli regime made public since the start of fiscal 2017.

The Israeli regime reportedly intends to use the US helicopter to replace its fleet of 22 aging CH-53D ‘Yasur’ helicopters, in service since the 1960s.

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