JERUSALEM

The United States has frozen the delivery of 130 bulldozers to Israel due to house demolitions in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

According to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli Defense Ministry has signed a major contract for the purchase of around 130 D9 bulldozers from the American machinery manufacturer Caterpillar.

The newspaper, citing Israeli security sources, said the United States had recently frozen the deal due to the use of these bulldozers to demolish homes in Gaza, which sparked widespread criticism in the United States. .

The sources said Israel had already paid for the bulldozers and was awaiting export authorization from the US State Department.

The Israeli daily said the freeze came at a time when Israel desperately needed bulldozers, especially after the equipment had undergone maintenance.

According to the report, the Israeli army has also been engaged in ground operations in southern Lebanon for more than a month, requiring additional D9 bulldozers for use in the region.

The Israeli newspaper said the freeze on the bulldozer shipment delayed the completion of Israeli plans to create a buffer zone between Gaza and the Negev in southern Israel, which would involve the destruction of hundreds of Palestinian buildings and agricultural areas along the border with Gaza.

According to the daily, Washington also froze the delivery of hundreds of heavy bombs to the Israeli army, which had purchased around 1,300 bombs from Boeing. These bombs each weigh nearly a ton. The United States has raised concerns that they could be used to harm civilians in Gaza.

Although half of the shipment of heavy bombs was eventually delivered, the other half remains stuck in US storage facilities, the statement added.

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. The assault left more than 43,600 dead and made the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in the blockaded enclave.

* Written by Ikram Kouachi

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