Biden administration halts arms shipment to Israel, reports US media
World
It is the first time since Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that the US has halted military aid
- The Israeli officials said last week's decision by the US government left the government concerned
(Web Desk) – The Biden administration last week halted a shipment of US-made ammunition to Israel, American news website Axios reported on Sunday, citing two Israeli officials.
It is the first time since Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that the US has halted military aid to the Jewish state.
The Israeli officials said last week’s decision by the US government left the government concerned.
The news website reported that the White House, the US State and Defence departments and the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the development.
Meanwhile, Israeli media confirmed the stoppage of military aid but government officials downplayed the report claiming that “the flow continues” and Jerusalem was “not aware of a policy decision to stop it.”
“Even now, a continued series of defense shipments are being sent from the US to Israel,” the official stated, while acknowledging that “one shipment or another may be delayed.”
In March, a senior Israeli official told ABC News that Washington had begun slow-walking military aid. According to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, shipments at the beginning of the war were coming “very fast,” but Jerusalem is “now finding that it’s very slow.”
The official said he was not sure what the cause was, but that Jerusalem was aware of President Joe Biden’s frustration with the conflict and his demand that Israel do more to provide humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
The reports of delays in US arms shipments come as Israel is preparing for a ground operation in Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold located in the southern part of the Strip.
President Biden has repeatedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would not support a major offensive against Hamas in Rafah.
The president would consider limiting “certain arms sales” if Israel launches a major assault in the city, The New York Times reported last month.
