Biden, in an interview with CNN, said the U.S. was still committed to Israel's defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, 바카라we're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used.바카라
President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah 바카라 the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza 바카라 over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there.
Biden, in an interview with CNN, said the U.S. was still committed to Israel's defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, 바카라we're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used.바카라
The U.S. has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid to Israel. That has only accelerated in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 in Israel and led to about 250 being taken captive by militants. Biden's comments and his decision last week to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel are the most striking manifestations of the growing daylight between his administration and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Biden said Wednesday that Israel's actions around Rafah had 바카라not yet바카라 crossed his red lines, but has repeated that Israel needs to do far more to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza.
The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs, according to a senior U.S. administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The focus of U.S. concern was the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban area.
바카라Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden told CNN. 바카라I made it clear that if they go into Rafah 바카라 they haven't gone in Rafah yet 바카라 if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.바카라
바카라We're not walking away from Israel's security," Biden continued. 바카라We're walking away from Israel's ability to wage war in those areas.바카라
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier Wednesday confirmed the weapons delay, telling the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense that the U.S. paused 바카라one shipment of high payload munitions.바카라
바카라We're going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,바카라 Austin said. 바카라But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah.바카라
It also comes as the Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict this week on whether the airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid have violated international and U.S. laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war. A decision against Israel would further add to pressure on Biden to curb the flow of weapons and money to Israel's military.
Biden signed off on the pause in an order conveyed last week to the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials who were not authorized to comment on the matter. The White House National Security Council sought to keep the decision out of the public eye for several days until it had a better understanding of the scope of Israel's intensified military operations in Rafah and until Biden could deliver a long-planned speech on Tuesday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Biden's administration in April began reviewing future transfers of military assistance as Netanyahu's government appeared to move closer toward an invasion of Rafah, despite months of opposition from the White House. The official said the decision to pause the shipment was made last week and no final decision had been made yet on whether to proceed with the shipment at a later date.
U.S. officials had declined for days to comment on the halted transfer, word of which came as Biden on Tuesday described U.S. support for Israel as 바카라ironclad, even when we disagree.바카라
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news, said the decision to pause the shipment was 바카라a very disappointing decision, even frustrating." He suggested the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, the U.S. campus protests and the upcoming election.
The decision also drew a sharp rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said they only learned about the military aid holdup from press reports, despite assurances from the Biden administration that no such pauses were in the works. The Republicans called on Biden in a letter to swiftly end the blockage, saying it 바카라risks emboldening Israel's enemies,바카라 and to brief lawmakers on the nature of the policy reviews.
Biden has faced pressure from some on the left 바카라 and condemnation from the critics on the right who say Biden has moderated his support for an essential Mideast ally.
바카라If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price,바카라 said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., his voice rising in anger during an exchange with Austin. 바카라This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can't afford to lose.바카라