Netanyahu pushes Israel to 'unknown': Hamas

Palestinian resistance faction Hamas on Thursday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing his people to the "unknown".

"Netanyahu is pushing the Israeli people and army to the unknown in an attempt to retain his position," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a press release.

He said that the Israeli premier has been deceived by his allies into launching a "lost" war.

Hamas slammed a decision by the United States to allow Israel use its stockpile of grenades and mortar rounds.

"With that decision, the U.S. has become an accomplice in the Israeli killing of Gaza children," Ezzat al-Rashq, a senior Hamas leader, said on his Facebook page.

The Pentagon has confirmed approving an Israeli army request for additional ammunition to restock its supplies of grenades and mortar rounds.

"The U.S. is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. "This defense sale is consistent with those objectives."

According to Kirby, the munitions were taken from a U.S. arms stockpile in Israel that is run under War Reserves Stock Allies-Israel (WRSA-I) program, under which the stockpile is being stored in Israel for U.S. use with a privilege of access to Israel in cases of emergency.

"Both munitions had been in WRSA-I stock for a few years, well before the current crisis," said the Pentagon spokesman.

"All stocks in WRSA-I, as required by law, are 'in excess to US requirements,'" he added.

Israel has launched a wide-scale offensive in Gaza since July 7 with the stated aim of ending rocket fire.

Over 1390 Palestinians - mostly civilians - have been killed and around 8000 injured thus far, according to Palestinian health officials.

Israel, for its part, has confirmed the death of 56 soldiers - most of which declared dead amid ground battles with Palestinian fighters - and three civilians since the beginning of the operation.