US rushing arms to Israel amid Lebanon bombings: Official

A decision to rush the delivery of the weapons following an Israeli request was made around the time Israel began pounding Lebanon by air and sea on July 12 after the capture of two Israeli soldiers by the Hezbollah militia, the official said.

"It's part of an arms sale that was made in 2005," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The official said the shipment "has either been made or is in the process of being delivered" but refused to specify whether it was being delivered by air or by sea.

Last year's arms deal allows Israel -- which agreed to purchase about one billion dollars in US military equipment in 2005, according to a congressional report -- to tap into the package depending on need.

It was not immediately clear if Israel requested the new shipments following the start of the Lebanon campaign or while it was still in the peak of an air offensive in the Palestinian Gaza Strip on its southern border.