The #Biden admin paused the shipment of thousands of weapons to #Israel, including controversial 2k-pound bombs, amid mounting concern about the country’s plan to expand a military operation in southern #Gaza that could dramatically increase the conflict’s death toll, U.S. ofcls said Tues.
The disclosure marks the 1st known instance of a pause in #US#arms transfers since the #Oct7#Hamas-led attack into #Israel…. Since then, the #UnitedStates has sent tens of thousands of #bombs & #missiles to its #ally as huge swaths of #Gaza have been turned to rubble & the death toll among #Palestinians has ballooned to >34k, many of them women & children…. #POTUS#Biden described the bombing as “indiscriminate,” but has been reluctant to leverage weapons transfers to…change…Israel’s behavior.
A 2nd #US ofcl…described the move as a “shot across the bow” intended to underscore to Israeli ldrs the seriousness of #UnitedStates concerns about the offensive in #Rafah, where ~1.5M displaced #Palestinians are massed in camps near #Gaza’s border w/ Egypt.
…The shipment being prepped for delivery to #Israel last wk included 1,800 2k-pound bombs & 1,700 500-pound bombs….That decision will be felt quickly as Israel continues to rapidly expend munitions as the conflict passes the 7-month mark.
The #Biden admin is reviewing other planned transfers that are not set to ship imminently, the 1st ofcl said. That pertains to 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, which convert free-fall “dumb bombs” into precision-guided weapons… …The unprecedented decision follows weeks of consultations beginning in Apr between #US & #Israel ofcls on how to meet the #humanitarian needs of #civilians in #Rafah & “how to operate differently against #Hamas there than they have elsewhere in #Gaza”…
But in recent days, it became clear to the #Biden admin that “Israeli leaders seemed to approach a decision point on such an operation,” forcing Washington to initiate its review of proposed transfers.
Despite the pause, the #IDF has enough #weapons supplied by the #US & other partners to conduct the #Rafah op if it chooses to cast aside US objections, the 1st ofcl said.
When asked about the delays earlier Tues, #StateDepartment spox Matthew Miller declined to offer a rationale but said that US support for Israel’s right to defend itself against #Hamas remains intact.
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In Washington, #US military support for #Israel receives overwhelming support from #Republicans & #Democrats in #Congress…
…powerful pro-Israel interest groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Cmte… is spending tens of millions …this #election cycle to unseat #Democrats it views as insufficiently pro- #Israel.
#Republicans assailed news of a delay in #weapons approvals as a “reprehensible” betrayal. “The #UnitedStates must stand with Israel. Period,” said Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC).