WASHINGTON: The United States warned on Thursday (May 9) that Israel will be dealing a strategic victory to Hamas if it carries out plans for an all-out assault on Rafah, the militants' last major stronghold
US President Joe Biden addresses rising levels of antisemitism, during a speech at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony, at the US Capitol building in Washington, US on May 7, 2024 WASHINGTON: The United States warned on Thursday that Israel will be dealing a strategic victory to Hamas if it carries out plans for anThe warning was backed by a new threat from President Joe Biden , who says he will pause more offensive military assistance to Israel if it goes...
The pronouncements are part of a last-ditch effort for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government to rethink their public commitments to invade the city to eradicate Hamas. The US and many others internationally including the United Nations believe such a move would result in significant civilian casualties and exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We believe that they have put an enormous amount of pressure on Hamas and that there are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas in Rafah than a major ground operation," he added.Biden, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, insisted that despite the arms hold-up, the US was still committed to Israel's defence and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms.
The US has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid to Israel. The shipment that was paused was supposed to consist of 900-kilogram bombs and 225-kilogram bombs, according to a senior US administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The focus of US concern was the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban area.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news, said the decision to pause the shipment was “a very disappointing decision, even frustrating." He suggested the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, the US campus protests and the upcoming election.
Former President Donald Trump, entering a New York courthouse for a criminal trial criticized Biden as well, saying Thursday that “What Biden is doing with respect to Israel is disgraceful.” The presumptive GOP presidential nominee added, “If any Jewish person voted for Joe Biden, they should be ashamed of themselves. He’s totally abandoned Israel.”
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