US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed reports that the United States has suspended arms shipments to Israel, as President Joe Biden’s administration faces growing pressure to condition aid to the main ally of the United States in the context of the war in Gaza.
Testifying before a U.S. Congressional subcommittee on Wednesday, Austin said the Biden administration suspended “a shipment of high-payload munitions” over concerns about the Israeli military’s push to invade the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza.
“We have been very clear…from the beginning that Israel should not launch a major attack on Rafah without considering and protecting the civilians who are in that battle space,” Austin told U.S. lawmakers .
“We have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this (arms) delivery,” the Pentagon chief added, stressing that the transfer is separate from an additional aid package for Israel adopted late april.
“My final comment is that we are absolutely determined to continue to support Israel in its right to defend itself. »
President Biden himself raised the possibility of taking weapons away from Israel in an interview broadcast Wednesday on CNN, denouncing the prospect of a major offensive in Rafah.
“It’s just not true,” he told CNN. “We are not going to supply the weapons and the artillery shells.”
He clarified that the United States would not “give up on Israel’s security,” but rather would stop supporting “Israel’s ability to wage war in these areas.” He cited the use of U.S. weapons against civilians as the reason for the pause.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza because of these bombs and other ways they attack population centers,” Biden said.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, responded to the pause in shipments by saying the U.S. decision was “very disappointing.”
“(US President Joe Biden) cannot say that he is our partner in the goal of destroying Hamas, while delaying the means to destroy Hamas,” Erdan said.
Tel Aviv Tribune’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from the White House on Wednesday, said the shipment included 1,800 bombs, each weighing about 900 kg (2,000 pounds), and another 1,700 bombs – each weighing 226 kg (500 pounds). ).
“There have been, prior to this delay, significant concerns from not only student protesters across the United States, but also within the president’s own party…about the manner in which these weapons are being used,” Halkett said.
US Senator Bernie Sanders welcomed the Biden administration’s pause on arms transfers, but said it “must be a first step.”
“The United States must now use all its leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, an end to the attacks on Rafah, and the immediate delivery of massive humanitarian aid to people living in despair,” Sanders said in a press release.
“Our influence is clear. Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. »
“Full-proof” support
The Biden administration has faced months of criticism for its “ironclad” support for Israel amid the Gaza war, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians and plunged the enclave into a grave humanitarian crisis.
But Washington has largely continued to provide military and diplomatic support to Israel as the war continues.
Israel intensified its bombing of Rafah on Monday, killing dozens of people after ordering around 100,000 residents in eastern areas of the city to evacuate.
Israeli troops also stormed the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, which serves as a major gateway for humanitarian aid.
Yet, even as it continues to express concern about the fate of the more than 1.5 million Palestinian refugees in Rafah, the US State Department sought this week to downplay the Israeli army’s recent initiatives.
“This military operation that they launched last night was aimed solely at the Rafah Gate,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Tuesday. “This was not an operation in the civilian areas that they had ordered evacuated.”
Commenting on the suspension of US arms shipments to Israel during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Miller stressed that Washington remains “committed to Israel’s security” despite its opposition to an operation in Rafah.
“We have suspended one short-term aid delivery and are considering others, but that said, our long-term commitment to Israel’s security has not changed,” he said.
Domestic pressure on Biden
Still, human rights advocates have urged the United States to do more to pressure the country to end its war on Gaza, and President Biden faces growing protests — including on campuses American academics – because of his position.
A new poll released Wednesday also suggests a growing disconnect between Biden and his Democratic Party base, which could pose a challenge as he campaigns for re-election in November.
The poll by Data for Progress, in collaboration with the Zeteo news site, suggests that 56 percent of Democrats believe Israel is committing “genocide” in the besieged Palestinian territory.
The study also finds that seven in ten American voters – and 83% of Democrats – also support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Hasan Pyarali, president of the Muslim group at College Democrats of America, the college arm of the Democratic Party, told Tel Aviv Tribune last week that many young people have signaled they will not vote for Biden in the upcoming election.
“Opposing genocide is not only good policy; It’s good politics,” he said.
The United Nations defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group,” including murder and measures to prevent births.
In January, the International Court of Justice – the UN’s highest court – recognized that there was a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza and ordered Israel to take “all measures in its power” to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians.
Israel has rejected the accusation that it is committing genocide.