Biden Threatens to Halt Weapons Supplies to Israel Over Potential Rafah Invasion

The Biden administration has paused the delivery of thousands of large bombs to Israel, citing concerns over the potential use of these weapons in a planned offensive against Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city. The decision was made after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that his government would go ahead with the assault despite US warnings. According to reports, the shipment consisted of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, which were paused last week. This is the first time since the October 7 Hamas-led attack that the Biden administration has used its power to curtail arms supplies as a means of influencing Israel's conduct in the conflict. President Joe Biden himself has spoken out against the potential use of these weapons, stating that if Israel goes into Rafah, "we're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used." He also acknowledged that US weapons have been used by Israel to kill civilians in Gaza, saying "civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs."