Washington (AFP) – The United States on Friday announced the approval of the sale of more than $7.4 billion in bombs, missiles and related equipment to Israel, which has used American-made weapons to devastating effect during the war in Gaza.

The State Department has signed off on the sale of $6.75 billion in bombs, guidance kits and fuses, in addition to $660 million in Hellfire missiles, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

The proposed sale of the bombs "improves Israel's capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats," DSCA said in a statement.

And the missile sale would "improve Israel's capability to meet current and future threats by improving the ability of the Israeli Air Force to defend Israel's borders, vital infrastructure, and population centers," it said.

Israel launched a hugely destructive offensive against Hamas in Gaza in October 2023 in response to an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian militant group that month.

The war has devastated much of Gaza -- a narrow coastal territory on the Mediterranean -- resulting in the displacement of much of its population, but a ceasefire has been in effect since last month, bringing a halt to the deadly conflict and providing for the release of hostages seized by Hamas.

In response to concerns over civilian deaths, then-president Joe Biden's administration blocked a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel -- larger than those in the latest proposed sale -- but his successor Donald Trump reportedly approved the shipment after returning to office.

While the State Department has approved the sale of the bombs and missiles, the transactions still need to be approved by Congress, which is unlikely to block the provision of the weapons to Washington's closest ally in the Middle East.