Biden Says America Will Withhold Weapons for Israel To Attack Rafah, Pointing to Concerns Over Civilian Deaths
America is still committed to Israel’s defense, President says, and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms.
WASHINGTON — President Biden said Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah — the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza — over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there.
Mr. Biden, in an interview with CNN, said America was still committed to Israel’s defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, “we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used.”
America has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid to Israel. That has only accelerated in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack that killed some 1,200 in Israel and led to about 250 being taken captive by militants.
Mr. Biden’s comments and his decision last week to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel are the most striking manifestations of the growing daylight between his administration and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government. Mr. Biden has said that Israel needs to do far more to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza.
The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to a senior American administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The focus of American concern was the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban area.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Mr. Biden told CNN. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — 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.”
Secretary Austin earlier Wednesday confirmed the weapons delay, telling the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense that America paused “one shipment of high payload munitions.”
“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Mr. Austin said. “But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah.”
Associated Press
