The United States government expressed deep dissatisfaction with the message brought forth by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asserting that Washington had withheld arms shipments to Israel. John Kirby, White House National Security Spokesman, told reporters that Netanyahu's video message was "perplexing," adding that the content of the video was "deeply disappointing" and "vexing."
Kirby pointed out that in the new conflict, the U.S. had to take cumbersome efforts for the security of Israel by sending in fighter aircraft in April to intercept hundreds of drones, dozens of missiles—ballistic missiles included—fired from Iran towards Israel.
"This President put fighter aircraft up in the air in the middle of April to help shoot down several hundred drones and missiles, including ballistic missiles, that were fired from Iran proper at Israel," Kirby noted.
As for Netanyahu's claims, according to Kirby, there was no country doing more internally on behalf of Israel to help defend themselves from Hamas. He also stated that the United States was as perplexed as anybody about why Netanyahu had made the video comments earlier in the week.
Netanyahu reacted incredulously in his video message, saying the U.S. had withheld weapons and ammunition without ever having explicitly given details.
Following a meeting with Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected claims by the Israeli prime minister. All arms shipments to Israel would continue as usual, Blinken said, except for the transfer of specific munitions that could have an impact on densely populated areas of Gaza, which were halted pending a review.
This is amid growing tension between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden in the past few months, where Biden and other top US officials publicly criticized Netanyahu's course of action during fighting in Gaza. Concerns are being raised everywhere on the large civilian death toll and the immediate humanitarian crises unfolding in Gaza.
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