Washington DC - The US on Friday announced the approval of the sale of more than $3 billion in munitions, bulldozers, and related equipment to Israel, which uses American-made weapons in its destruction of Gaza and siege on the illegally occupied West Bank.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed off on the sales of $2.04 billion in bomb bodies and warheads, another $675.7 million in other bomb bodies and guidance kits, and $295 million in bulldozers and related equipment, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.

Rubio "has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services in the national security interests of the United States," DSCA said.

That results in the waiver of the usual requirement that such sales be approved by Congress, it said.

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"The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability," DSCA added.

The latest weapons transactions come after Washington approved the sales of more than $7.4 billion in bombs, missiles, and related equipment to Israel earlier this month.

Israel has virtually destroyed Gaza in a brutal assault that many experts have deemed to be genocidal. Although a fragile truce with Palestinian group Hamas has been in place since January, its first phase is set to end Saturday with progress to the next stage highly uncertain.

Meanwhile, Israel has been killing and violently displacing Palestinians in record numbers in the illegally occupied West Bank. In dismantling entire communities, Israeli forces often use bulldozers to destroy roads and tear down homes.