6/26/2024–|Last updated: 6/26/202411:54 PM (Mecca time)
The United States on Wednesday renewed its full commitment to continuing to arm Israel, but there were conflicting leaks regarding a shipment of “heavy munitions” whose delivery the administration of President Joe Biden had earlier decided to suspend.
From Washington, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said he had held meetings with American officials and made significant progress on the issue of supplying Israel with ammunition.
Gallant said, “During the meetings, we made remarkable progress. Obstacles were removed and weaknesses were addressed.”
He explained that progress includes “various issues,” including “the issue of strengthening the force and ammunition supplies that we must bring to the State of Israel.”
He added, “I would like to thank the American administration and the American people for their continued support for the State of Israel.”
His statements came after his meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, concluding a visit to Washington during which he also met with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Gallant did not provide additional details about the nature of the progress and whether the Biden administration agreed to proceed with the delivery of weapons or merely gave assurances.
The White House said that Sullivan “reiterated President Biden’s commitment to ensuring that Israel has everything it needs to defend itself militarily and confront its Iranian-backed adversaries.”
Angry message
On the other hand, the Times of Israel quoted an American official as saying that the pending shipment of heavy bombs to Israel will remain so for the time being.
As for the Israeli Channel 12, it said that Tel Aviv received an angry message from the Biden administration that the pending weapons would not be fully delivered even after the end of the Rafah operation.
She added, “The Biden administration is concerned that Netanyahu will exploit the additional arms shipments to open a front in the north.”
A senior US official said, “We are in discussions to find a solution regarding the pending arms shipment to Israel, which is still under review.”
Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Biden administration of showing a slowdown in delivering Israel the weapons it needs in its ongoing war on Gaza since October 7, which has led to the death and injury of more than 120,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women. And children.
This position angered American officials, who denied Netanyahu’s allegations, stressing that Washington had only suspended the delivery of one shipment.
Last May, the United States suspended a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel weighing two thousand and 500 pounds, claiming that this was out of concern about the impact they could have in densely populated areas.
Unlimited support
However, since the beginning of its war on Gaza, Washington has provided Tel Aviv with unlimited support at various military, intelligence, and diplomatic levels, and is scheduled to supply it with weapons worth billions of dollars in the coming months. In early June, Tel Aviv signed a deal to purchase 25 American F-16 fighter jets. -35″ worth $3 billion.
Last April, Biden signed a $26.4 billion aid package for Israel, including $14 billion in military aid.
