WASHINGTON (AP) — The President joe biden On Wednesday, Israel said it would not supply offensive weapons that could be used in attacks. All-out attack on Rafa over concerns for the safety of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering in Hamas’ last major stronghold in Gaza.
Biden said in an interview with CNN that the U.S. remains focused on defending Israel and will supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive weapons, but if Israel enters Rafah, “weapons and “We have no intention of supplying shells.” Already used. “
The United States has historically provided large amounts of military aid to Israel. This situation further accelerated in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on October 7, which left around 1,200 people dead in Israel and around 250 taken prisoner by the militants. Mr. Biden’s comments and last week’s decision to suspend shipments of large bombs to Israel are the most notable manifestation of a relationship between the Biden administration and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to see the light of day. Biden said Wednesday that Israel’s actions around Rafah “haven’t” crossed any red lines “yet” but that Israel needs to do more to protect civilian lives in the Gaza Strip. I repeated that there was.
The cargo was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs, according to a senior U.S. government official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the classified matter. The focus of US attention was on larger explosives and how they could be used in dense urban areas.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a result of bombs and other attacks on populated areas,” Biden told CNN. “If they go into Rafah, they haven’t gone into Rafah yet, but even if they go into Rafah, I would like to take a historical approach to deal with Rafah, to deal with the city. We have made it clear that we will not supply weapons that have been used in
“We’re not going to walk away from Israel’s security,” Biden continued. “We are moving away from Israel’s ability to wage war in these areas.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged the weapons delays early Wednesday, telling the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee that the U.S. had suspended “one shipment of large munitions.”
“We will continue to do what is necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Austin said. “That said, we are currently considering some short-term security assistance shipments in light of the events occurring in Rafah.”
It also comes with the situation of the Biden administration. The first formal judgment of its kind is expected to be handed down. This week, Air strikes on Gaza and restrictions on aid deliveries It has violated international and U.S. laws designed to protect civilians from the worst horrors of war.Decisions against Israel will make the situation even worse pressure on biden This is to curb the flow of weapons and funds to the Israeli military.
Mr. Biden agreed to the suspension in an order passed to the Pentagon last week, according to U.S. officials not authorized to comment on the matter. The White House National Security Council sought to keep the decision out of the public eye for several days until Biden could better understand the scope of Israel’s military operations being stepped up in Rafah and achieve long-term plans. . Tuesday’s speech commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The Biden administration began considering future military aid transfers in April, as Netanyahu’s government appeared to be moving closer to invading Rafah, despite months of opposition from the White House. The official said the decision to suspend shipments was made last week and a final decision has not yet been made on whether to continue shipping at a later date.
U.S. officials declined to comment on the suspension of deportations for several days, but the news came Tuesday when Biden spoke of U.S. support for Israel. “Even if we disagree, we are ironclad.”
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 television news that he found the decision to halt shipments “very unfortunate and even frustrating.” He suggested the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, protests on US campuses, and the upcoming election.
The decision also drew a sharp rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, despite assurances that the Biden administration had no plans to suspend military aid. He said that he only knew about the detention from media reports. Republicans called on Biden to: letter “There is a risk of emboldening Israel’s enemies,” he said, calling for an immediate end to the blockade and for MPs to explain the nature of the policy review.
Mr. Biden has come under pressure from some on the left and from critics on the right who say he has toned down his support for key allies in the Middle East.
In an exchange with Austin, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.S.C.) fumed, “If we withhold the weapons necessary to annihilate the enemies of the State of Israel in times of great crisis, we will pay a price.” He said while raising his voice. . “This is despicable. It’s absurd. Give Israel what it needs to fight a war it can’t lose.”
Biden supporter Bernie Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, said in a statement that stopping large bombs must be a “first step.”
“Our impact is clear,” Sanders said. “For years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s horrific war against the Palestinian people.”
Meanwhile, Austin told lawmakers, “It’s important that we have the right type of weapon for the task at hand.”
“Small diameter bombs are precision weapons and can be very useful in environments with dense built-up,” he said, “but they may not be as effective as a 2,000-pound bomb that can cause a lot of collateral damage.” I can’t do it,” he said. He said the US wants Israel to conduct “more precise” operations.
Israeli forces took control on Tuesday Gaza’s crucial Rafah border crossing As explained by the White House, limited operation It was during a recent phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that brought the Israeli military one step short of a full-scale invasion of the city, which Biden had repeatedly warned about.
Israel ordered 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate the city. Israeli forces also carried out what they described as a “targeted attack” in eastern Rafah, capturing the Rafah crossing, a key conduit for the flow of humanitarian aid along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Privately, there is growing concern within the White House about what is happening in Rafah, but publicly officials say the operation does not go against Biden’s warnings against large-scale operations in the city. He emphasizes that he thinks there was no such thing.
The State Department is separately considering whether to approve continued transfers of the Joint Direct Attack Weapons Kit, which equips bombs with precision guidance systems, to Israel, but that review is not related to the impending shipment.
Itamar Yar, a former vice-chairman of Israel’s National Security Council, said the U.S. move was largely symbolic but a sign of trouble that could become even more problematic if it continues.
“This is not a U.S. embargo on U.S. military aid, but I think it is a kind of diplomatic message to Prime Minister Netanyahu that he needs to consider U.S. interests more than he has in the past few months,” he said. “It doesn’t affect Israel’s capabilities, at least for now, but it’s a kind of signal: ‘Watch out.’
The United States has carefully dropped 2,000-pound bombs in the long-running war against the Islamic State group. In contrast, Israel used bombs frequently in its seven-month war in Gaza. Experts say the use of the weapon, which does not differentiate between militants and civilians, is a contributing factor to the huge number of Palestinian casualties, which the Hamas-run Health Ministry puts at more than 34,000. It is pointed out that it has become.
Relations between the United States and Israel have remained close through both Democratic and Republican administrations. But there have been other moments of serious tension since Israel’s founding, when U.S. leaders have threatened to withhold aid to undermine Israel’s leadership.
President Dwight Eisenhower threatened Israel with sanctions in 1957 during the Suez Crisis to pressure Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula. President Ronald Reagan delayed the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Israel amid escalating violence in the Middle East. President George H.W. Bush withheld $10 billion in loan guarantees to force a halt to Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories.
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Associated Press writers Joseph Federman, Lolita C. Baldor and Matthew Lee in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
