biden-administration-halts-weapons-shipment-to-israel-amid-rafah-offensive-concerns

The US administration has halted a weapons shipment intended for Israel ahead of its potential Rafah Offensive, officials have said.

 

This is the first time since October 7 last year that the United States has stopped a weapons consignment bound for the Israeli military. 

 

 The US move raised concerns in the Israeli government, prompting officials to investigate why the package was held up, according to Israeli sources.

 

US President Biden is under immense pressure from Americans who criticise his backing Israel.

 

Reports indicate that Israel has failed to comply with the assurances given by them, as their bombs have killed civilians, and aid workers, including media personnel covering the ongoing Gaza invasion. 

 

The Biden administration is fearful that Israel may launch an assault on Rafah, a southern Gaza city where over one million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued multiple statements in recent days indicating that he intends to authorise the invasion of Rafah regardless of whether Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza or declared a truce.

 

"In the terrible Holocaust, there were great international leaders who stood by quietly; hence, the first lesson of the Holocaust is that if we do not protect ourselves, no one will… And if we have to stand alone, we will," he said.

 

Last Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel and had a "tough" chat with Netanyahu about a likely Israeli operation in Rafah, according to sources quoted by US media.

 

During their conversation, Blinken informed Netanyahu that "a major military operation" in Rafah would result in the US openly opposing it, thereby negatively impacting US-Israeli ties.

 

A day later, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Israeli leaders understood that President Biden was "sincere" when he talked about the possibility of changes to US policy regarding the Gaza war "should they (Israel) move ahead with some sort of ground operation in Rafah that doesn't take into account the refugees.”

 

In a statement released on Friday, Hamas said that it was evaluating the present plan in a "positive spirit" and was "going to Cairo in the same spirit to reach an agreement."