US paused weapons shipment to Israel to head off Rafah offensive: Report

The United States last week temporarily halted a planned weapons shipment to Israel due to concerns that the Israeli military was preparing for a major ground operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza enclave housing over a million Palestinians.

The White House administration official told news agency Reuters that as Israeli leaders appeared to be moving toward a decision on a Rafah incursion, the US began a thorough review of proposed weapons transfers to Israel.

The situation in Rafah has escalated, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians seeking refuge from combat in other parts of Gaza. US President Joe Biden’s administration has been actively working to prevent a full-scale assault by Israeli forces in Rafah, the official said.

“The US position has been that Israel should not launch a major ground operation in Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering with nowhere else to go,” the official stated.

According to CBS News, the shipment in question included 1,800 2,000-pound (907-kg) bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs.

Reuters, citing sources, reported that the delayed shipments involved Boeing-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), which can transform conventional “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions. Additionally, Small Diameter Bombs were part of the shipment.

“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 official added.

The delay coincides with public pressure from Washington on Israel to hold off in its offensive in Rafah until measures are taken to minimize civilian casualties. The US has expressed concerns about the humanitarian needs of civilians in the city.

However, the Pentagon stated on Monday that there has been no official policy decision to withhold arms from Israel. Notably, in April, Washington approved a $15 billion military aid package for Israel, which Biden termed as “vital support”.

Meanwhile, Israel launched a major military offensive against Hamas forces in Rafah, seizing control of a key border crossing and cutting off most aid into the territory.

It came after Israel on Monday declared that a three-phase ceasefire proposal approved by Hamas was unacceptable because terms had been softened.

The US said it believes the remaining differences between Israel and Hamas can be bridged in negotiations over the Palestinian militant group’s latest ceasefire proposal, as talks were scheduled to resume in Cairo.

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