Washington: Last week, in an effort to deter potential Israeli military action targeting the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the Biden administration paused a planned arms shipment to Israel, a senior administration official revealed on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden has been actively working to prevent a full-scale assault by Israeli forces on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians have sought refuge from escalating conflict across Gaza.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official stated that as Israeli leaders appeared to be edging closer to a decision regarding a possible incursion into Rafah, “we initiated a thorough review of proposed arms transfers to Israel that could potentially be utilized in Rafah,” starting back in April.
“As a result of that review, we have paused one shipment of weapons last week. It consists of 1,800 2,000-lb bombs and 1,700 500-lb bombs,” the official detailed.
“”We are especially focused on the end-use of the 2,000-lb bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of Gaza. We have not made a final determination on how to proceed with this shipment,” the official emphasized.
Multiple sources revealed that the delayed shipments, spanning at least two weeks, encompass Boeing-manufactured Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), which transform conventional bombs into precision-guided munitions, along with Small Diameter Bombs.
The timing of this delay coincides with Washington’s public urging for Israel to postpone its planned offensive in Rafah until after taking necessary measures to prevent civilian casualties.
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Both the White House and the Pentagon refrained from commenting on the matter.
Israeli forces recently seized control of the primary border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in Rafah, severing a crucial lifeline for humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
While reaffirming Washington’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre hinted at ongoing diplomatic discussions, stating, “Two things could be true, in the sense of having those conversations, tough, direct conversations with our counterparts in Israel … in making sure citizens lives are protected … and getting that commitment.”
The Pentagon, meanwhile, asserted on Monday that there hasn’t been a formal policy decision to withhold arms from Israel, America’s staunchest ally in the Middle East.
Nevertheless, these delays mark the first apparent divergence from the Biden administration’s previously unequivocal support for Israel following Hamas’ October 7 attack, which resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties and the abduction of around 250 individuals, with 133 believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli sources.
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Israel’s relentless campaign against Hamas has triggered a seven-month-long military operation that has claimed the lives of a staggering 34,789 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
The prolonged conflict has pushed Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants to the brink of famine and sparked widespread protests in the United States, calling for universities and the Biden administration to withdraw support for Israel, including the supply of weaponry.
Reacting to reports of potential arms delays, a senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to international news agency Reuters, neither confirmed nor denied specific hold-ups in arms supplies but adopted a resolute stance, stating, “As the prime minister has already said, if we have to fight with our fingernails, then we’ll do what we have to do.”
