US cargo planes transport heavy weapons to Israel amid Gaza war

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Dozens of US cargo planes carrying heavy weapons and munitions have landed in Israel in recent days amid the ongoing war in Gaza and a possible military escalation against Iran, Israeli media said on Wednesday.

According to the public broadcaster KAN, C-17 airlifters transported weapons and munitions from US bases around the world to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel.

The shipments include heavy MK-84 bombs and other munitions to support military operations in Gaza, and prepare for a possible attack on Iran in coordination with the US should the ongoing nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran fail, KAN said.

“The shipments also include interceptor missiles designated for the US THAAD air defense systems deployed in the region," it added.

The US and Iran held their first round of indirect negotiations in Oman last week. A second round is scheduled for Saturday.

According to KAN, Israel is expected to receive thousands of additional munitions in the upcoming weeks to restore its arms depots, which had been emptied during its war on Gaza.

There was no official confirmation from the Israeli authorities of the report.

The Israeli army renewed a deadly assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

At least 51,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.