In a decisive turn of events, US President Joe Biden has publicly cautioned Israel, signalling a potential shift in the long-established military support the United States has provided to its key Middle East ally. In an interview aired by CNN on Wednesday, President Biden made his position unequivocally clear, stating that a significant incursion by Israeli forces into the densely populated city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip would result in a halt to the supply of American weapons. “I made it clear that 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,” Biden remarked, drawing a line in the sand.
This strong admonition from the US President signals a potential rift with Israel, as President Biden acknowledges the use of US-supplied arms in operations that have led to civilian casualties in Gaza. The ongoing Israeli offensive, which has now persisted for seven months, aims to eradicate Hamas but has thus far resulted in the tragic loss of 34,789 Palestinian lives, predominantly civilians, according to figures released by the Gaza Health Ministry.
President Biden addressed the civilian toll in Gaza during his interview, noting the devastation brought about by the 2,000-pound bombs supplied to Israel: “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers.” In light of these concerns, a senior US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the US had paused the shipment of a consignment comprising 1,800 of the 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs after a thorough review of their potential use in Rafah.
Despite the delayed shipments, Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, expressed his disappointment earlier this week. Nevertheless, he remained optimistic that the United States wouldn’t completely cease its arms supply to Israel. Recent activities involving Rafah, which offers sanctuary to over one million Palestinians, were denounced by President Biden, though he stopped short of labeling them a full-scale invasion, noting that “population centers” had not been targeted.
These developments follow shortly after Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III acknowledged President Biden’s decision to halt the delivery of heavy bombs due to concerns regarding Rafah, where the US strongly opposes a major invasion that does not protect civilians.
The antagonism between Israel and Hamas took a severe turn with Hamas’ assault on Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of around 250 individuals, 133 of whom are still believed to be held captive in Gaza based on Israeli accounts.
The US remains the principal supplier of weapons to Israel, having increased its deliveries in response to the October 7 attacks. A 10-year Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2016, providing Israel with $38 billion in military aid over the decade, which includes $33 billion for purchasing military equipment and $5 billion for missile defense. Recently, US Congress approved an extra $26 billion in funding for Israel.
While President Biden has expressed a commitment to continue supporting Israel’s defense capabilities, including the Iron Dome air defense system, he has made his disapproval clear when it comes to offensive weaponry. “We’re going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently,” he asserted. “But it’s just wrong. We’re not going to – we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells.”
The President’s stern warning adds a new layer of complexity to the relationship between the US and Israel, as the prospect of withholding military support from a traditional ally places pressure on Israel to reassess potential actions in the Middle Eastern theatre.
