According to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the United States has temporarily halted a shipment of weapons to Israel due to concerns about a potential ground operation in the Gaza city of Rafah.
While Washington has not yet made a final decision on the fate of the arms, there are worries about their potential use in the Palestinian city. Austin emphasized that the US remains committed to ensuring Israel’s defense capabilities but is currently reviewing the situation in Rafah before proceeding with the shipment.
Israeli tanks and troops have already entered Rafah, and airstrikes have taken place prior to this development.
The US has been urging Israel to prioritize the safety of civilians and avoid major combat in the area. Reports suggest that the US has given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a few days to achieve a symbolic victory in Rafah.
This pause in arms supplies is the first known instance of the US withholding weapons since the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, and it is worth noting that the Biden administration has approved over 100 arms deliveries to Israel since then.
The unnamed senior US official mentioned by the outlet stated that the paused delivery consisted of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to the report.
The senior official clarified that the delays in the delivery were not related to the recent supplemental funding of $14.1 billion for Israel that was approved last month.
Expressing commitment to ensuring that Israel receives all the allocated funds from the supplemental budget, the official mentioned that Washington had recently given the green light for $827 million in weapons and equipment for Israel.
Despite the delays, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, expressed skepticism about the US halting arms supplies to Israel while also describing the decision as “very disappointing” in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 News.
