US demands answers from Israel over arms sales to China

Washington has demanded that its close ally Israel provide details of more than 60 recent security deals with China and its arms export trade in general, the newspaper reported on its front page.

In the interim, the United States has suspended cooperation with the Israeli air force on developing a new jet in the Joint Strike Fighter project and other high-tech military equipment used by ground troops.

Contact has also been "disrupted" at the top echelon between the Israeli defence ministry and the Pentagon, with Israeli phone calls not answered, the newspaper added.

The controversy flared over an Israeli deal to sell its Harpy Killer unmanned drone to China against Washington's express wishes.

Washington pressured Israel to scrap the deal to upgrade a consignment of drones, which it had sold to China, for fear that advanced US defence technology contained in Israeli equipment could be used against Taiwan.