Earlier today, Israel shelled Rafah while U.S. President Joe Biden warned against Israel’s conduct of war on Gaza. Biden stated that if the offensive into southern Gaza city goes ahead, he will cut off arms transfers. He clarified that the U.S. will still provide defensive arms like Iron Dome rocket interceptors but will not supply weapons and artillery shells used in Rafah.
The U.S. has always provided significant military aid to Israel, which continued even after Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7. However, Biden’s recent comments and his decision to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel indicate a growing rift between his administration and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Biden said that Israel’s actions around Rafah had “not yet” crossed his red lines but has reiterated that Israel needs to do more to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza. The shipment was to contain 1,800 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs, and there were concerns over their use in a densely populated area.
The Biden administration is expected to deliver its first formal verdict this week on whether Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on aid delivery violate international and U.S. laws designed to protect civilians during war.
Biden signed off on the pause in an order conveyed last week to the Pentagon. Still, the White House National Security Council kept the decision under wraps for some time until they had a better understanding of Israel’s intensified military operations in Rafah.
