US President Joe Biden has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will withhold some shipments of U.S. weapons if Israel launches an all-out assault on the Palestinian city of Rafah. This comes as Israel continues its military operations in the Gaza Strip, including in Rafah, the last major Hamas stronghold.
President Joe Biden has threatened to withhold some shipments of U.S. weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the Palestinian city of Rafah.
The warning came as Israel continued its military operations in the Gaza Strip, including in Rafah, the last major stronghold of the militant group Hamas.
Biden's decision to pause the shipment of weapons was made after months of opposition from the White House to an invasion of Rafah by Israel.
The U.S. has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel over the years. Biden's threat to withhold some of this aid if Israel invades Rafah is a significant escalation in pressure on Netanyahu.
The White House has stressed that it does not believe Israel's current operations in Rafah defy Biden's warnings against a widescale operation in the city. However, concerns have mounted inside the White House about what's unfolding in Rafah.
The U.S. dropped the 2,000-pound bomb sparingly in its long war against the Islamic State terrorist group. Israel, by contrast, has used the bomb frequently in the seven-month Gaza war. Experts say the use of the weapon has helped drive the Palestinian casualty count, which the Hamas-run health ministry puts at more than 34,000 dead, though it does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Israel has said it will not tolerate rocket fire from Gaza into Israel. Hamas has said it will not stop firing rockets until Israel ends its blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been ongoing for decades. The two sides have fought several wars, and there have been numerous rounds of peace talks. However, a lasting peace agreement has not been reached.
The international community has called on both sides to end the violence and return to peace talks. The U.S. has been involved in efforts to broker a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. However, these efforts have not been successful.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is a complex and difficult issue. There is no easy solution. The U.S. has been involved in efforts to broker a peace agreement between the two sides. However, these efforts have not been successful. The conflict is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
