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JERUSALEM.- The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu He stated this Tuesday that The United States is withholding weapons and hinted that this was slowing down the Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, where fighting aggravated the desperate humanitarian situation.
President Joe Biden suspended the delivery of certain heavy bombs to Israel in May for fear of massacre of civilians in Gaza. However, his government tries to avoid suggesting that Israeli forces have crossed a red line in the Rafah invasion, which would trigger a broader ban on arms transfers. The shipment consisted of 1,800 2,000-pound (900 kilo) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (226 kilo) bombs.
Netanyahu, in a short video with a forceful tone, spoke directly to the camera in English while launching harsh criticism at Biden for “bottlenecks” in transfers. “It is inconceivable that in recent months the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition from Israel,” Netanyahu said. And he added: “Give us the tools and we will finish the job much faster.”
Netanyahu did not give details about what weapons were being held, and stated that the head of North American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, He said during a recent visit to Israel that he was working tirelessly to end the delays.
However, Blinken said this Tuesday at a press conference from Washington that the only pause in the shipment of weapons to Israel was related to those heavy bombs whose shipment was suspended last May.
“We, as you know, continue to review a shipment that President Biden talked about about 2,000-pound bombs because of our concerns about its use in a densely populated area like Rafah,” Blinken said. “That is still under study. But everything else continues its normal course.”
USA has provided Israel with crucial military and diplomatic support since the war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October. Israel blames the civilian deaths on Hamas, saying the militants operate among the population.
Two top Democratic congressional officials cleared the way for it to move forward. a North American sale of F-15s to Israel worth $15 billion, after a delay, while one of them sought answers from the Biden administration about the current Israeli use of American weapons in the Gaza war.
With the Israeli offensive in its ninth month, international criticism of American support has increased to the air and land campaign of Israel in Gaza, and the United Nations’ highest court concluded that there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza.
Both Netanyahu and Biden are balancing their own domestic political problems with the explosive situation in the Middle East, and the embattled Israeli leader has increasingly resisted Biden’s public questioning and private pleas.
Months of ceasefire talks have failed to find common ground between Hamas and Israeli leaders. Both Israel and Hamas are reluctant to fully endorse a plan supported by the United States that would allow the hostages to be returned, clear the way to end the war and begin an effort to rebuild the decimated territory.
Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet on Monday, a move that cements his influence over the war between Israel and Hamas. and that it will probably decrease the chances of a ceasefire in the short term. The move may also give Netanyahu room to maneuver to prolong the war and stay in power.
Critics accuse him of delaying it because the end of the war would mean an investigation into government failures on October 7 and would increase the probability of new elections when the prime minister’s popularity is low. Netanyahu denies the accusations and claims that he is determined to destroy Hamas’s military and governance capabilities, for as long as he takes.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has so far left more than 37,100 dead, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The war also largely cut the flow of food, medicine and other supplies to the Palestinians, who are facing widespread famine.
Israel launched war after the Hamas attack on October 7, in which militants swept into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and kidnapping around 250.
AP and AFP Agencies
THE NATION
