The amount of US munitions stored in Israel has been dwindling due to the Ukraine war and it is still unclear when it will be replenished, Israel Hayom has learned from Israeli sources.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the depots storing US munitions in Israel had been partially tapped in order to help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion. The depots are officially designated as US military storage facilities and as such enjoy diplomatic immunity under bilateral agreements with Israel. The implicit understanding between Jerusalem and Washington over many decades has been that the munitions there would be earmarked for Israel in times of emergency if the Jewish state faces a major attack along the scale as the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when it faced a combined invsasion by Syria and Egypt.
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According to sources who spoke with Israel Hayom, some of the munitions have been shipped out in recent months through the Port of Ashdod – mainly on Saturdays – to avoid drawing media attention. The shipments out of Israel, which began under the premierships of Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, have continued until recent weeks. Israeli and foreign sources have told Israel Hayom that the reason those munitions had been tapped is the ongoing shortage of reserve stockpiles in the West in the wake of the continued fighting in Ukraine.
Change of priorities
A defense official said that the White House made the decision to shift resources outside of Israel to another front, but in light of Israel's fragile security situation in recent weeks, this could have other effects. "These are Israel's reserve stockpiles for times of war," a former cabinet minister said. "The move has had a bigger implication in light of the threats on Israel in multiple theaters."
A US official confirmed this, telling Israel Hayom that "it is still not clear when the reserves will be restocked." The official added that this depends on the manufacturing pace in the US. The change is also part of the US pivot toward China and Ukraine, which has seen Washington put less of an emphasis on the Middle East.
Former senior Israeli defense officials have noted that President Joe Biden's new set of priorities – including his cold shoulder to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by publicly saying he won't be invited to Washington soon – have had direct consequences on Israel's overall strategic situation in the region. According to the officials, the administration's actions vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states have allowed Iran to continue building up capabilities and has resulted in Sunni states restoring ties with Tehran and has made China a much more powerful player in the region.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit confirmed the above details. In response to a query submitted by Israel Hayom, the IDF said that "US equipment stored in Israel was handed over to the US armed forces, in accordance with an American request." The Prime Minister's Office and the Defense Ministry were not immediately available for comment.
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