2024-05-08 08:45:55
The Israeli military on Wednesday appeared to downplay the US administration’s suspension of an arms shipment following an Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah this week, and said the two allied countries would resolve any disputes “behind closed doors.” “.
At a news conference organized by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper as the Gaza war entered its eighth month, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said coordination between Israel and the United States had reached “in my opinion an unprecedented level”.
A US official announced Tuesday that the United States suspended sending bombs to Israel last week following failing to address Washington’s “concerns” regarding the Israeli army’s plans to invade Rafah, the town located in the far south of the Gaza Strip and filled with displaced people.
A senior official in US President Joe Biden’s administration told Agence France-Presse, asking that his name not be published: “Last week we suspended the shipment of a weapons shipment consisting of of 1,800 bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kg), and 1,700 bombs each weighing 500 pounds (226 kg).
“We have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this expedition,” he added.
The Biden administration made the decision as it appeared Israel was regarding to launch a major ground operation in Rafah, something Washington strongly opposes.
The senior US official confirmed that Israeli and US officials had discussed alternatives, but that “those discussions are ongoing and have not fully addressed our concerns.”
He continued: “When it appeared that Israeli leaders were close to making a decision on such an operation, we began a careful review of transfers of certain weapons to Israel that might be used in Rafah. This began in april.”
He explained that Washington is “particularly focused” on the heaviest bombs, each weighing two thousand pounds, “and the impact they might have in crowded urban areas, as we have seen in other parts of Gaza.
According to the US official, the State Department in Washington is currently reviewing other arms transfers, including the use of precision bomb kits known as JDAMs.
Biden is trying to avoid a full-scale Israeli attack on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have taken refuge to escape fighting elsewhere in the Strip.
Four sources told Reuters that the weapons shipments, whose deliveries have been delayed by at least two weeks, include Boeing-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions, which convert unguided bombs into precision-guided bombs , as well as small diameter bombs.
A senior Israeli official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, did not confirm any delays in the arms supply, but did not appear bothered by the reports, saying: “As already said the Prime Minister, if we have to fight with our nails, we will do what we have to do.
This comes at a time when Washington is publicly pressuring Israel to postpone its planned attack on Rafah until a plan is developed to prevent civilian deaths.
The White House and Pentagon declined to comment.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces took control of the main Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah, cutting off a vital aid route to the besieged strip.
Without specifying whether there was a delay in sending the weapons, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security is “strict.”
However, when asked regarding reports of arms delays, she said: “There are two things that can be right, when you have these talks, the direct and difficult talks with our counterparts in Israel… ensuring that the lives of citizens are preserved. protected…and get that commitment.”
The Pentagon said Monday there was no policy decision to take weapons away from Israel, the United States’ closest ally in the Middle East.
But the delay appears to be the first since the Biden administration expressed full support for Israel following Hamas’ attack on Israeli sites and towns on October 7.
Israeli statistics indicate that this attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the kidnapping of approximately 250 people, of whom 133 are believed to remain detained in Gaza.
The Gaza Health Ministry said that the military campaign launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip seven months ago to eliminate Hamas had caused the deaths of 34,789 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and injured more than 78,000 people.
Many of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents face starvation due to the conflict, which has sparked protests in the United States demanding that universities and Biden stop supporting Israel with weapons and other means.
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