US reveals it paused shipment of bombs for Israel over Rafah concerns
Last week, the United States halted a shipment of bombs destined for Israel due to apprehensions that Israel was moving forward with a significant ground operation in Rafah, located in southern Gaza, according to a senior administration official.
The shipment included 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each (907 kilograms) and 1,700 bombs weighing 500 pounds (227 kilograms), as reported by a CBS News official, speaking to the BBC, which serves as the US media partner.
The concerns of the United States regarding the humanitarian needs of civilians in Rafah have not been adequately addressed by Israel, the official noted. Israel has not issued an immediate response.
Following Israeli forces, accompanied by tanks, seizing control of the vital Rafah crossing along the Egyptian border, additional Israeli airstrikes occurred in the Gaza Strip overnight.
The intensity of Israeli airstrikes has been particularly concentrated around Rafah, resulting in the reported death of seven members of a single family in one such strike, according to local medics.
Since the commencement of the conflict between Israel and Hamas last October, Rafah has played a crucial role as an entry point for aid and the sole exit route for those seeking refuge.
On Monday, the Israeli military instructed tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate the eastern sectors of Rafah city, ahead of what they described as a “limited” operation to eliminate Hamas militants and dismantle infrastructure.
Simultaneously, efforts persist to secure a ceasefire, alongside negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees. Delegations from Israel and Hamas are set to resume talks in Cairo through intermediaries.
“The stance of the United States has been that Israel should refrain from launching a major ground operation in Rafah, where over a million people are taking shelter without alternative options,” affirmed the White House official.
“As a result of that review, we have paused one shipment of weapons last week. It consists of 1,800 2,000lb bombs and 1,700 500lb bombs.
We are especially focused on the end-use of the 2,000-lb bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of Gaza.
We have not made a final determination on how to proceed with this shipment.”
The unnamed official added that “for certain other cases at the State Department, including JDAM [Joint Direct Attack Munition] kits, we are continuing the review. None of these cases involve imminent transfers – they are about future transfers”.
The official stressed that none of these shipments had “anything to do with the Israel supplemental appropriations” in April but had been drawn from “previously appropriated funds, some many years ago”.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s cross-border attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others were taken hostage.
More than 34,780 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
A deal agreed in November saw Hamas release 105 hostages in return for a week-long ceasefire and some 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel says 128 hostages are unaccounted for, 34 of whom are presumed dead.
