The United States temporarily halted a shipment of bombs to Israel due to concerns about a potential full-scale attack on Rafah, Gaza. The shipment included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, raising fears about their use in a densely populated area with more than 1 million civilians.
The rift between Israel’s PM Netanyahu and President Biden’s administration deepened as the US government paused the aid shipment, urging Israel to protect innocent lives. Israeli forces conducted a limited operation in Rafah, capturing the border crossing to cut off arms smuggling by Hamas.
The State Department is reviewing military aid transfers, including precision guidance kits, to Israel. Concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza persist as the US monitors the situation closely.
The decision to postpone the arms shipment underscores the complexity of US-Israel relations, even as they navigate through challenging diplomatic terrain in the Middle East.