US suspended arms shipments to Israel to prevent Rafah invasion, official says

Israeli army tanks take positions in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on May 7, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas.

Ménahem Kahana Afp | Getty Images

US President Joe Biden's administration suspended arms deliveries to Israel last week in opposition to apparent Israeli attempts to invade the southern Gaza town of Rafah, a senior official said on Tuesday. administration.

Biden tried to ward off a large-scale attack by the Israelis on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere in the Gaza Strip.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that as Israeli leaders appeared to move closer to a decision on an incursion into Rafah, “we began to carefully examine proposals for arms transfers special flights to Israel which could be used in Rafah” from April.

“As a result of this review, we suspended a weapons shipment last week. These are 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs,” the official said.

“We are particularly focused on the end use of the 2,000-pound bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban areas, as we have seen in other parts of Gaza. We have no “have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this shipment,” the official said.

Four sources said the shipments, which were delayed by at least two weeks, were for Boeing-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions, which convert dumb bombs into precision-guided bombs, as well as small-diameter bombs. .

U.S. President Joe Biden disembarks from Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., after a weekend in Delaware, May 6, 2024.

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades | Reuters

The delay comes at a time when Washington is publicly pressuring Israel to postpone its planned Rafahun offensive until it has taken steps to avoid civilian casualties.

The White House and Pentagon declined to comment.

Israeli forces took control of the main border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah on Tuesday, cutting off a vital route for the delivery of aid to the small enclave.

Without specifying whether there was a blockage of arms deliveries, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reaffirmed that Washington's commitment to Israel's security was “ironclad.” .

Yet when asked about reports of arms thefts, she added: “Two things could be true, in the sense of having these conversations, tough, direct conversations with our counterparts in Israel… to make sure that the lives of citizens are protected. . and get that commitment.

The Pentagon said Monday there had been no policy decision to take weapons away from Israel, the United States' closest ally in the Middle East.

Yet the delays appear to be the first since the Biden administration offered its full support to Israel following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped about 250 others, including 133 believed to be still in captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli counts.

Smoke rises after an Israeli strike as Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip , May 7, 2024.

Hatem Khaled | Reuters

Israel's campaign to destroy Hamas led to a seven-month military campaign that killed a total of 34,789 Palestinians, mostly civilians, Gaza's health ministry said.

The conflict has also left many of Gaza's 2.3 million residents on the brink of famine and sparked protests in the United States demanding that universities and Biden withdraw support for Israel, including the provision of weapons.

A senior Israeli official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, did not confirm any specific blockage in arms deliveries, but appeared to take the information in stride: “As the prime minister has already said, If we have to fight with our nails, then we will do what we have to do.”

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