A “little-known stockpile” of American ammunition in Israel is being used by the Pentagon to supply Ukraine with artillery shells for its battle against Russia, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, which cited US and Israeli officials, the US stockpile in Israel is used by the Pentagon in Middle East conflicts and is also available for use by Israel for emergencies.

Since arms stockpiles in the US are strained and US arms manufacturers are unable to keep up with Ukraine’s needs, the Pentagon has turned to two stockpiles: one in South Korea and a second one in Israel. The transfer of arms from Israel’s stockpile to Ukraine has not been previously revealed.

Israel has refused persistent requests to supply Ukraine with weapons due to its special interests in maintaining a cordial relationship with Russia due to the latter’s military presence in Syria. According to the report, Israel initially expressed concerns about the US transferring arms from Israel to Ukraine due to fears of Russia’s response but the request was ultimately approved by then-interim prime minister Yair Lapid. About half of the 300,000 rounds have already been shipped to Europe and will be delivered to Ukraine through Poland.

The US request to transfer artillery shells from Israel to Ukraine was officially made in an encrypted phone call between U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and then-Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz.

The request was brought for discussion to the Israeli security cabinet and the defense establishment recommended accepting the request to avoid conflict with the US, and partially due to the fact that the arms belong to the US. At the end of the discussion, Lapid approved the request.

The stockpile of US arms in Israel originated during the Yom Kippur war in 1973, when the US airlifted weapons to replenish Israeli supplies. After the war, the US made a decision to establish warehouses in Israel for potential emergencies, eventually leading to the “pre-positioning” of Pentagon assets in Israel.

US tanks and armored personnel carriers were initially placed in Israel’s southern desert, with the understanding that they would be available for use by US forces if needed. The program was expanded in the 2000s, with munitions for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force stored in separate areas in Israel and accessible only to American military personnel, according to a former U.S. arms inspector.

Israel was granted permission to use arms from the US stockpile during the Lebanon War in 2006 and during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

The report quoted two senior Israeli officials as saying that the US has promised Israel that it will replenish the stockpile following the arms transfer to Ukraine and will also immediately send arms in case of a dire emergency.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)