Biden threatens to halt arms supplies if Israel invades Rafah – BNN

In an interview broadcast on CNN on Wednesday, May 8, US President Joe Biden warned Israel against launching a major ground operation in the Gaza city of Rafah, warning that the US would stop certain arms deliveries if it did, while stressing that the US remained committed ensure Israel’s security. But it seems that Israel is ready for a serious invasion of Rafah, reports the British broadcaster BBC.

Israel seized the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, announcing a limited operation and Israel’s ambassador to the UN said Israel was “very disappointed” by Biden’s intervention.

“If they go into Rafah, I’m not going to deliver weapons,” Biden said in an interview.

He explained that the current situation in Rafah is not classified by the US as a ground operation because Israeli forces have not invaded the settlements but are operating along the border. However, he warned that US support would end if Israel entered the territories.

Biden acknowledged that US weapons have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, but said Israel had not yet crossed a “red line”.

The comments are the president’s strongest warning yet and the first time he has said the United States could halt American arms shipments to Israel.

A White House official previously reported that the United States had already delayed the delivery of thousands of bombs to Israel, adding that it was reviewing future deliveries, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed on Wednesday.

This move is unlikely to have an immediate impact, but will likely affect future shocks fairly soon.

Meanwhile, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the US had provided “unprecedented” security assistance since the start of the war, adding that

differences between allies will be resolved “behind closed doors”.

Boaz Bismuth, a prominent member of Israel’s Likud party, claimed in an interview with the BBC’s Newshour program that, in his opinion, US domestic political factors influenced the decision to suspend the supply of bombs, adding that the US election was connected to this decision.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s October 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and captured several hundred, since then more than 34,780 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

Also Read: US Reveals It Has Paused Bomb Shipments To Israel Over Rafah Concerns

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