“It’s definitely an earthquake.”
That’s how American diplomat Richard Haass described US President Joe Biden’s stunning declaration that his administration would stop supplying certain weapons to Israel if it carried out a planned invasion of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
“This was building up for a while, and Rafah was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Haass, a former president of the Council on Foreign Relations and a policy adviser during the George W. Bush administration, said in an interview with Israeli Haaretz newspaper.
“There is real skepticism in the government that Rafah will make a deal for the hostages, as the Israelis have said.”
Recent weeks have seen heated back-and-forth between Israel and Hamas, as well as Qatari, Egyptian and American mediators, trying to reach an agreement that would allow a ceasefire between the warring factions and the release of the hostages still being held Palestinian militant group.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long pushed for an invasion of Rafah – Gaza’s southernmost city where more than a million displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge – saying it is crucial to defeating Hamas and winning the war .
Numerous governments and humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations and WHO, have warned of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of an invasion of the crowded enclave, which has already been ravaged by military attacks, disease and famine.
Palestinians living in the area continue to migrate from the eastern neighborhoods of the city towards the west of Khan Yunis on May 9, 2024, following ground attacks by the Israeli army in certain neighborhoods east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Ashraf Amr | Anadolu | Getty Images
“I have made it clear that if they invade Rafah – they have not invaded Rafah yet – if they invade Rafah, I will not provide the weapons that were used in the past to fight Rafah and to fight the cities …”that are dealing with this issue,” Biden said in an interview with CNN that aired Thursday.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a result of these bombs and other attacks on population centers,” he said, when asked whether the 2,000-pound bombs the U.S. is sending to Israel have killed civilians.
Pentagon confirms pause in arms deliveries to Israel
The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that the government has suspended delivery of a shipment of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs to Israel.
Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated Washington’s “ironclad” support for Israel, but Austin told lawmakers that “this is about having the right weapons for the job at hand” and that the US wants to see Israel take “more precise” measures . Operations.
“A small-diameter bomb, a precision weapon that is very useful in a dense, built-up environment,” he said, “but perhaps not so much a 2,000-pound bomb that could cause major collateral damage.”
Netanyahu remains unfazed, saying Israel will “stand alone” and fight “tooth and nail” if U.S. arms supplies stop. Many other Israeli lawmakers attacked Biden and the U.S. over the announcement, even though the U.S. is Israel’s largest supporter on the world stage and a source of military funding and weapons.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) visits army units on the Israel-Gaza Strip border near Rafah, Gaza, on May 7, 2024. The Israeli army issued immediate evacuation orders for Palestinians in the eastern districts of Rafah early Monday and urged them to move to the town of al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip.
Israel Ministry of Defense | Anadolu | Getty Images
Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, simply wrote on X: “Hamas.” [heart emoji] Biden.”
Biden’s warning marked the first time that the president, a staunch supporter of Israel and self-described Zionist, paused or threatened to stop all arms sales to the Jewish state. It is also important to note that the suspended shipments in question may still be delivered at a later date and this reportedly does not apply to the $26.4 billion security assistance package for Israel that was approved by Congress back in April.
Will it actually affect anything?
Israeli security experts say the pause will have no impact on planned operations in Rafah, while other analysts say the move is largely symbolic but aimed at sending a serious message. Israeli troops took control of the Gaza side of the key Rafah border crossing on Tuesday, massing troops there and carrying out attacks on some parts of the city.
“Although the Biden administration is withholding critical munitions from Israel to force the delay or halt of Israel’s Rafah operation, it is unlikely that this munition was the integral weapon required for Israel’s planned operation,” Avi Melamed said , a former Israeli intelligence official and regional analyst, said.
Melamed argued that “Biden’s statements embolden Hamas and Iran and endanger US allies in the region,” but he expects “slow and precise” operations by Israeli forces in Rafah, making him believe that “Israel is likely to launch a direct attack.” “will avoid a collision course with the Biden administration’s latest position.”
Clayton Allen, U.S. director at political risk firm Eurasia Group, called Biden’s decision “a headline-grabbing move that ultimately impacts Israeli capabilities,” but added that it “does not affect the majority of U.S. aid, nor does it really.” “detracts from what they can do in the coming weeks.”
Others praised the move. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said it had to be a “first step.”
“Our influence is clear,” Sanders said in a statement. “Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahu’s terrible war against the Palestinian people.”
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Meanwhile, nonprofit organization DAWN, which focuses on U.S. policy and human rights in the Middle East, said in a statement that the Biden administration’s suspension of massive bombing attacks on Israel is “an important but long overdue admission that Israel is American.” used weapons.” killing Palestinian civilians indiscriminately, violating the most basic laws of war.”
CNBC has reached out to the Israeli Defense Forces for comment.
Children sit on a truck as Palestinians continue to leave the city’s eastern neighborhoods with their packed belongings due to ongoing Israeli attacks in Rafah, Gaza, May 8, 2024.
Ali Jadallah | Anadolu | Getty Images
Israel claims its war is against Hamas and its forces are seeking to avoid civilian casualties. The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities in the besieged enclave. The invasion was triggered by a Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,200 people there and took about 250 hostage, of whom more than 100 were released.
For Michael Koplow, chief policy officer of the Israel Policy Forum, Biden’s warning represents a profound shift and is something that must be taken very seriously.
“Although Israel appeared to be at a turning point since October 7, it is currently at a truly dangerous point,” Koplow wrote in a column on the forum’s website on Thursday.
“U.S.-Israel relations are increasingly coming to light at the most inopportune moment, and the Israeli attitude that it is primarily the U.S. responsibility to mend these rifts finds few buyers.”
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2024-05-10 18:23:14
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