CNN
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Israeli officials blamed the United States and became embroiled in internal conflict over the matter. US President Joe Biden has said that if a full-scale ground operation into the city of Rafah begins, some shipments of US-made weapons to Israel will be halted.
In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett after Biden’s remarks, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said he believed the decision “could embolden the State of Israel and the enemies of the State of Israel.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the announcement by posting a short clip of a speech he gave a few days ago, saying, “If Israel is forced to isolate, Israel will become isolated.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu echoed this sentiment on Thursday, on the eve of Independence Day, saying: “In the War of Independence 76 years ago, we were the few against the many. We had no weapons and there was an arms embargo on Israel, but with great spirit, courage, and our unity, With that, we won.”
The US president’s announcement that he was willing to condition the use of US weapons on Israeli actions marked a turning point in the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas. And his recognition that American bombs were used to kill civilians in Gaza was a clear recognition of America’s role in the war.
The president is under extraordinary pressure from members of his own party to restrict arms shipments amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Biden’s comments on CNN are a major setback for Israel’s war. The United States is by far Israel’s most important and strongest ally, and without American support, Israel’s firepower and ambitions in Gaza will be diminished.
The Biden administration has been pressuring Israel in recent months to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip and ensure the delivery of more humanitarian aid.
The United States also urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to reconsider plans for a full-scale invasion of Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, where more than 1 million people have fled fighting elsewhere in the Strip. asking repeatedly.
Israel has so far carried out limited operations around the Gaza Strip, seizing control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a key entry point for aid to Gaza, and carrying out military attacks around the Strip.
New satellite images obtained by CNN from Planet Labs show that Israeli attacks in Rafah have expanded in recent days from air strikes to ground operations.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday told some residents of eastern Rafah to “immediately evacuate” ahead of a military operation in the city. They were told to go to Almawasi, a coastal town near the city of Khan Younis, which aid groups say is overcrowded and uninhabitable. The United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) estimates that nearly 79,000 people have fled the city since Monday.
Despite mounting international pressure, the Biden administration has remained firm with Israel, providing arms and other aid. Wednesday’s threat came as Biden used his speech at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to highlight the horrors of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 in Israel. This came a day after reminding people that Many of the hostages taken to Gaza that day are still being held in the Gaza Strip.
“Too many deny, downplay, justify, and ignore the Holocaust and the horrors of October 7, including the horrific acts of sexual violence used by Hamas to torture and terrorize Jews. . It’s absolutely despicable and it has to stop,” he said aloud on Tuesday.
The president made a very different statement Wednesday. “I think if they go into Rafah, they haven’t gone into Rafah yet, but even if they do go into Rafah, historically they have been used to deal with cities, to deal with Rafah. “We will address that issue,” Biden said, adding that the United States would continue to supply defense weapons to Israel.
Biden’s comments caused great anger among some Israeli politicians.
Speaking at an event commemorating Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: , not a defense organization or the State of Israel. We will stand strong and achieve our goals. Attack Hamas, attack Hezbollah, achieve security. ”
“It is surprising to discover that the world has forgotten what happened in Israel on October 7,” said Miki Zohar, a minister in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud party.
“We will not jeopardize our security and will never agree to comply with any demands that undermine Israel’s national security,” he added in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The announcement also revealed deep rifts between Israel’s various political parties.
Israel’s far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir criticized Biden on X, saying, “Hamas❤️Biden.”
The comments sparked a backlash from the country’s president, Isaac Herzog, who warned him against making “baseless, irresponsible and insulting statements and tweets” during his Victory Day speech.
Other Israeli officials also criticized Ben Gvir. Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party responded: “If Prime Minister Netanyahu does not fire Ben Gvir today, he will be putting every member of the IDF and every citizen of the State of Israel at risk.” Ta.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government continue to worsen Israel’s strategic situation,” said Israeli Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli.
This story has been updated.
