The United States will no longer supply Israel with weapons if it continues the siege of the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. President Joe Biden said this in an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening (local time). According to him, American bombs are causing civilian deaths.
It is the first time since October 7 – Hamas’s attack on Israel – that the American president has threatened ally Israel with a halt to arms deliveries. Last week it was announced that the US had stopped a supply of ammunition to Israel.
“I have made it clear that if they invade Rafah – that has not happened yet – if they invade Rafah, I will not provide the weapons that have historically been used to tackle Rafah, to tackle the cities, the weapons that tackle that problem ,” said Biden.
‘American bombs kill civilians in Gaza’
Heavy Israeli bombardments have been taking place on Rafah for days.
Bombs supplied by the US have caused civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip, Biden said. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a result of those bombs and other ways they are attacking population centers,” Biden told CNN, referring to the weapons shipment that was previously blocked.
The announcement marks a major turning point in Israel’s war against Hamas.
‘Jewish Americans have doubts about Biden’
It is “difficult and very disappointing” for Israel that the US government does not want to supply weapons if they are used for an attack on Rafah. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said this in an interview with the public broadcaster Kan, writes The Times of Israel.
“Of course, any pressure on Israel by our enemies is interpreted as hopeful,” Erdan said, according to the news site. “There are plenty of Jewish Americans who voted for the president and the Democratic party who now have doubts about that.”
The US has long been opposed to a major attack on Rafah, where the humanitarian need is already high and many civilians live. Yet the Israeli government appears to be going ahead with its plans.
Heavy shelling on Rafah was also reported on Thursday morning.
