On Tuesday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that the US is withholding weapons and suggested that this has been reducing their efforts to secure Rafah, a southern Gaza city where fighting has worsened the already dismal humanitarian situation for Palestinians. For example, since May President Joe Biden has delayed sending some heavy bombs to Israel because of concerns involving civilian deaths in Gaza. Similarly, the administration has gone far to avoid any appearance of an Israeli incursion into deeper Rafah, which would cause more extensive arms embargo.
Netanyahu appeared in a brief video where he spoke directly into the camera using English and castigated Biden over “bottlenecks” in transferring arms.” In the last few months it’s not comprehensible that there have been no weapons or ammunitions delivered by this government to Israel,” said Netanyahu. “Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster.”
Nevertheless, Netanyahu didn’t mention which specific armaments were being withheld and Israeli military refused to comment on it. Such questions on specifics should be asked of US government Ophir Falk stated.
According to Netanyahu as well, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated during his recent visit to Israel that he was working day and night to end these delays. But Blinken told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that there was only one pause made in delivering weapons to Israel regarding those heavy bombs from May. “You know we’re still looking at one shipment President Biden talked about with respect to 2,000-pound bombs given our concern about them being used in a place like Rafah which is densely populated,” he said. “That remains under review. But everything else is moving as it normally would.” AP
