News reports say that the United States has decided to delay arms shipments to Israel in a move seen as disapproving of its military operations in Rafah city in southern Gaza. The Biden administration has blocked at least two arms shipments to Israel, says The Washington Post, quoting a US official as saying that blocking the arms deal was meant to caution Israel against the Rafah incursion. The fear is that such an operation might escalate the casualties and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis further in Gaza.
Addressing questions on this decision, National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said he was aware of the media reports, but would not confirm the specifics, emphasizing rather that the United States remains committed to the security of Israel. The entire focus is on preventing the actions that will escalate the already grim situation of Rafah and, basically, the wider conflict in Gaza, where millions of Palestinian civilians need assistance.
Rafah is a city located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border and is an important route for humanitarian aid to enter the besieged territory. Military operations by the Israel Defense Forces here in the past few days, which it described as targeted counterterrorism operations against Hamas, escalated tensions and international concerns over the safety of civilians caught in the crossfire.
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