WASHINGTON, August 5 (RIA Novosti) – US President Barack Obama signed a bill granting Israel additional $225 million for its Iron Dome missile defense system, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said in a statement.
“This funding will ensure that Israel will be able to sustain production of Iron Dome components in order to maintain adequate stockpiles of Iron Dome interceptors and equipment,” the document reads.
“These funds are in addition to the $176 million requested in the President's FY 2015 budget for Iron Dome and the FY 2015 Congressional increase of $175 million proposed in Congress to offset the costs of initiating Iron Dome production in the United States,” Earnest specified.
The bill was approved by Congress last week. Allocating additional funds to Israel is a rare occasion when both Democrats and Republicans agreed in their voting.
“The United States has been clear since the start of this conflict that no country can abide rocket attacks against its civilians. The United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself against such attacks. We also continue to call on Israeli authorities to take all feasible precautions to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza and protect the civilian Palestinian population from the effects of attacks,” White House spokesman stressed.
Israel has been conducting Operation Protective Edge since July 8 in attempt to put an end to rocket fire from Gaza. On July 17, the Israeli Army switched to a ground assault largely aimed at locating and destroying rocket launchers and underground tunnels. According to the latest reports, over 1,800 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 67 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.
