Israeli authorities report that the United States withheld 3,500 bombs from Gaza last week due to concerns about their potential use in a large-scale attack on the city located in the southern part of the territory.
An Israeli tank is located close to the border between Israel and Gaza. Israel successfully confirmed the arms halt only a few hours after it had pushed tanks into Rafah, located in southern Gaza.
President Biden halted an arms shipment to Israel last week, according to administration officials on Tuesday night, to prevent the use of American-manufactured weapons in an attack on the long-threatened city of Rafah. This action reflects the growing rift between Washington and Jerusalem regarding the conduct of the war.
The authorities report that the president postponed the delivery of 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds and 1,700 bombs weighing 500 pounds due to his apprehension about their potential placement on Rafah, the refuge for over one million Gazans. The administration is now conducting a study to determine whether or not to halt future deliveries, which include guidance kits that transform so-called dumb bombs into precision-guided weapons.
Since Hamas launched its terrorist attack on October 7, Mr. Biden has influenced Israel's response to the ensuing conflict by using his power to restrict armaments. This decision to postpone the delivery of the 3,500 bombs was the first time that he had done so. For some weeks, a number of Mr. Biden's Democratic friends in Congress have been urging him to restrict or stop the shipping of armaments to Israel. This is something that he had previously refused to do due to his strong support for the fight to defeat Hamas.
Earlier this week, Israeli authorities announced the weapons freeze to Axios. However, until Tuesday night, officials from the United States refused to acknowledge the delay, either during briefings or in private conversations. It was a clear indicator of how much anger is rising among administration officials that their Israeli colleagues are not heeding U.S. warnings against a large operation in Rafah that might lead to substantial civilian fatalities. The fact that they finally did so was a clear indication of how much discontent was growing among administration officials. Israel confirmed the weapons halt only a few hours after moving tanks into the southern Gaza city.
A United States official stated that the administration began examining the armament shipments last month when it became clear that Israel was considering a Rafah operation. In the beginning, Mr. Biden advocated for Israel to refrain from attacking Rafah without first devising a strategy to successfully reduce the number of civilian casualties. However, over the last several weeks, the White House has progressively suggested that it does not feel that such a strategy is even viable.
Israel has not made it clear whether it is about to launch an attack on Rafah, but it has made moves in the last few days that seem to indicate it is moving in that direction. In response to rockets fired by Hamas over the weekend, Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of 110,000 inhabitants from Rafah and carried out airstrikes against targets in the city's border sections. The murder of four Israeli soldiers prompted these actions.
On Tuesday, Israel described the entrance of tanks into Rafah and the takeover of the city's border crossing with Egypt as a limited operation to eradicate Hamas members and infrastructure that was associated with the missile launch. The measures did not appear to be the beginning of a larger strike that Israel had already committed to carrying out. However, it appeared that Israel executed the evacuation order and limited military measures to maintain pressure on Hamas as negotiators gathered in Cairo to explore the possibility of reaching a cease-fire deal.
During a speech that he delivered earlier on Tuesday at a ceremony commemorating the Holocaust at the Capitol, Vice President Biden did not address his decision to withhold the bombs, but he did reiterate his support for Israel. "Even when we disagree, my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and Israel's right to exist as an independent Jewish state is unwavering," he added. "It is an ironclad commitment."
The administration has not yet decided how to proceed with the bombs withheld last week, nor is it halting the shipment of any type of weapon to Israel. In fact, authorities said that the administration had recently given its approval to the most recent round of help, which included weapons and equipment worth a total of $827 million. The sources quoted the administration's intention to send "every dollar" of the recently authorized money by Congress.
They said, however, that they were particularly concerned about the potential damage that bombs weighing 2,000 pounds could cause in a congested metropolitan region such as Rafah, which has a large number of displaced residents. As for the Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAM, guidance kits, they have not yet made a decision about whether or not to dispatch them.
On Tuesday, officials from the Biden administration seemed to be especially unhappy about the Israeli capture of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which has hampered attempts to bring in humanitarian assistance. The United States officials are actively seeking a solution that would enable Hamas to release some of its hostages in exchange for a temporary cease-fire, coinciding with the action.
As a result of the seizure and closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing, which are the only two main entrance ports in the south for food, medicine, and other supplies, international organizations issued urgent warnings that the already severe humanitarian situation in Gaza might swiftly become much more severe. Karine Jean-Pierre, who serves as the press secretary for the White House, expressed to the media that the closure of the borders was "unacceptable."
In recent months, there has been a steady increase in the level of tension that exists between Mr. Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. Mr. Biden made his first warning to reconsider the United States' backing for the conflict during a conversation that took place a month ago. He said that he would do so if Mr. Netanyahu did not alter his attitude. Although Mr. Biden did not explicitly declare his intention to restrict or eliminate weapons during the conversation, he did suggest the possibility of doing so.
The White House has recognized Israel for responding to the president's requests by doing more to allow humanitarian relief. This has occurred since the last statement. However, it appears that disagreements regarding the potential Rafah operation remain unresolved. Despite the fact that Israeli officials traveled to Washington to discuss their preparations for the attack, they did not adequately address American officials' concerns about the possibility of a bloodbath among civilians.
Officials from the administration informed their Israeli colleagues that they were unable to replicate the strategy that they had used in northern Gaza, which resulted in a significant number of deaths and led to the destruction of a significant portion of the territory. In the seven months that the conflict has been going on, the authorities in Gaza have reported that more than 34,000 individuals, including both militants and civilians, have sacrificed their lives.
Israel is heavily reliant on the United States to provide military supplies, particularly air defense batteries. Together with American troops, these batteries successfully intercepted and destroyed nearly all the more than 300 missiles and drones Iran had launched at Israel in the previous month. Because of the effective defense, it became clear how important the United States' assistance has been to Israel's safety.
For a long time, administration officials have made it abundantly clear that they will not disarm defensive firearms. However, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken's scheduled report to Congress this week coincides with the suspension of the bombings. The study will evaluate whether or not Israel has utilized American weaponry in a manner that is in conformity with legislation from the United States and other countries.
The much-anticipated study has the potential to set the setting for a heated discussion over the United States' accountability for Israel's war, which has already sparked massive demonstrations on college campuses. A conclusion that Israel has broken the law would undoubtedly spark demonstrations and bring further complaints from congressional Democrats. On the other hand, a decision that Israel has successfully conducted its war in accordance with the law would undoubtedly raise the amount of pressure that Mr. Biden is under to further restrict the delivery of armaments.
