President Biden suspended arms shipments to Israel last week to prevent U.S.-made weapons from being used in a long-threatened attack on the city of Rafah, administration officials announced Tuesday night. This is a sign of the widening rift between Israel and Jerusalem. the conduct of war.
Officials said the president withheld 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs out of concern that they could be dropped on Rafah, where more than 1 million Gazans have fled. The administration is considering whether to curb future transfers involving guidance kits that convert so-called dumb bombs into precision-guided weapons.
The decision to postpone the delivery of 3,500 bombs is the first time since the October 7 Hamas-led terrorist attack that Biden has used his power to reduce arms as a way to influence Israel's approach to war. That's true. Many of Biden's Democratic supporters in Congress have for weeks urged him to limit or halt arms sales to Israel, something he has previously refused to do because of his strong support for the war against Hamas.
Israeli officials revealed the weapons moratorium to Axios earlier this week, but U.S. officials declined to confirm it at a briefing or privately until Tuesday night. The fact that they ultimately did so is a sign that administration officials believe the Israelis did not heed U.S. warnings against a large-scale operation in Rafah that could result in large-scale civilian casualties. This clearly shows how much dissatisfaction has grown. News of the arms suspension came just hours after Israel sent tanks into the southern city of Gaza.
A U.S. official said the administration began reviewing arms shipments last month when it became clear that Israel was reaching a decision on Operation Rafah. Biden initially took the position that Israel should not attack Rafah without a plan to effectively minimize civilian casualties, but in recent weeks the White House has confirmed that no such plan exists. It is becoming increasingly clear that they do not believe that this is possible.
Israel has not said whether it is on the brink of launching an attack on Rafah, but it has taken actions in recent days that suggest it is moving in that direction. The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of 110,000 civilians from Rafah and launched airstrikes on targets in the border area of Rafah city in retaliation for a Hamas rocket attack that killed four Israeli soldiers over the weekend.
Israel on Tuesday claimed the tank entry into Rafah and the seizure of the border crossing with Egypt was a limited operation to eliminate Hamas fighters and infrastructure linked to rocket attacks. This action does not appear to be the spearhead of a major attack that Israel has promised. But the evacuation order and limited military action appear aimed at keeping pressure on Hamas while negotiators discuss a possible ceasefire agreement in Cairo.
Biden did not address his decision to withhold the bomb in a speech at a Holocaust memorial service at the Capitol early Tuesday, but reiterated his support for Israel. “My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is steadfast, even when we disagree,” he said.
The administration has no intention of halting all weapons to Israel or permanently withholding the bombs in question at this time. In fact, officials said the government just approved the latest aid amounting to $827 million in arms and equipment. Officials say the administration intends to send “every dollar” of the money Congress just appropriated.
But they said they were particularly concerned about the damage caused by 2,000-pound bombs in dense urban areas like Rafah, where there are so many displaced people.