This decision is not trivial, even if it will not necessarily have immediate consequences. A senior American official announced Tuesday that the United States had suspended a weapons delivery last week after Israel’s lack of response to Washington’s “concerns” about an announced offensive on Rafah, in the south. from the Gaza Strip.
“We suspended the delivery of a shipment of weapons last week. It consists of 1,800 2,000-pound (907 kg) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (226 kg) bombs,” said this senior official in the administration of US President Joe Biden on condition of anonymity. “We have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this shipment,” he added.
This resolution was taken as Washington opposes a large-scale offensive prepared by Israeli troops in Rafah without a credible plan to protect the civilians sheltering there. Joe Biden “reiterated his clear position” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Israeli and U.S. officials have discussed alternatives, but “those discussions are ongoing and have not fully addressed our concerns,” the senior U.S. official said.
Other arms transfers examined
“As Israeli leaders appeared to move closer to a decision on such an operation, we began to carefully examine proposals to transfer specific weapons to Israel that could be used at Rafah. It started in April,” explained this senior official. He added that Washington was “particularly focused” on using the heaviest bombs, 2,000 pounds, “and the impact they could have in dense urban environments like we’ve seen in other parts of Gaza. The US State Department is also reviewing other arms transfers, including the use of precision bombs known as JDAM (remote guided bomb), the official added.
A decision that provokes a reaction among Republican opponents. The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, on Tuesday denounced any measures aimed at limiting military aid to Israel. “Just when we thought only university presidents were giving in to the absurd demands of pro-Hamas students, the president himself has now reportedly stopped munitions deliveries to Israel,” he told reporters before the official announcement from the United States.
The Israeli army deployed tanks on Tuesday in Rafah (south), took control of the border crossing with Egypt and closed the two main access points for humanitarian aid (Rafah and Kerem Shalom), a measure considered ” unacceptable” by the United States. “No international pressure” will prevent Israel from “defending itself,” Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday. “If Israel must remain alone, Israel will remain alone,” he insisted.