President Joe Biden said Wednesday that American bombs have been used to kill civilians in Rafah and that he would suspend further arms shipments to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launches a full-scale invasion.
‘In Rafah, civilians have died as a result of these bombs and other ways in which they attack population centers. “I made it clear that if they go to Rafah (they haven’t gone to Rafah yet), I will not provide them with weapons,” Biden said in an interview with CNN.
The president, last week, delayed the delivery of 3,500 bombs to the United States ally in the Middle East. It was the first time he used his executive power to influence Israel’s approach in its war with Hamas.
But his words of warning Wednesday were the most direct threat Biden has made to Israel during the seven-month war.
President Biden said the United States would not supply bombs to help Israel invade Rafah.
He reiterated his support for Israel in his interview with Erin Burnett.
‘We are going to continue to make sure that Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and its ability to respond to attacks like the one that occurred at least recently. But it’s just wrong. “We are not going to supply the weapons or the artillery shells used,” he stated.
He noted that Israel has not yet launched a full-scale invasion; just crossed the border, but expressed frustration that the invasion has cut off a crucial supply line through Egypt to bring much humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
“They haven’t gotten to the population centers; what they did was right on the border and it’s causing problems, right now, in terms of Egypt, where I’ve worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help, but we don’t.” “I have made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet that they will not get our support if they do, in fact, enter these population centers,” he said.
Israel has downplayed the administration’s decision to withhold the 1,800 2,000-pound and 1,700 500-pound bombs.
The administration is also exploring the possibility of delaying future transfers, including guidance kits that convert so-called dummy bombs into precision-guided munitions, according to reports.
Many Democrats have urged the president to limit weapons shipments to Israel for fear they will be used against innocent civilians.
Israel relies heavily on the United States to supply its military. Many of the drones used last month to protect themselves from Iranian missiles were American-made, and American forces helped counter the bombing.
Biden’s decision comes as he struggles to balance his support for Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack with his efforts to protect Palestinian civilians.
Around a million refugees have crowded into Rafah. Biden on Monday warned Netanyahu against a large-scale attack on Rafah.
But on Monday, the Israeli army warned some 110,000 civilians to leave Rafah, and hours later its tanks moved in. It was not a full-scale invasion, but some fear it is imminent.
Israel has threatened a major assault on the area to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are hiding there.
The relationship between Biden and Netanyahu has become more strained as the prime minister has repeatedly defied US demands on important issues.
Smoke rises after Israeli airstrike on Rafah: Israel relies heavily on the United States to supply its army
Doctors examine Palestinian boy injured after Israeli attack
Republicans criticized the government’s decision to delay delivery of the bomb.
President Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell demanded answers about why shipping the bomb was delayed, saying they needed to find out about it through media reports and not from the administration.
‘We were alarmed by media reports that his administration had delayed the delivery of a variety of arms shipments bound for Israel. “This news runs counter to the assurances given regarding the timely delivery of security assistance to Israel,” they wrote to Biden in a joint letter.
Senator Mitt Romney criticized Biden for his policies.
‘We support the allies, we do not question them. “Biden’s hesitancy on Israel’s weapons is bad policy and a terrible message to Israel, our allies, and the world,” he wrote in X.
Senator Lindsey Graham rebuked the administration.
‘This is obscene. It’s stupid. “Give Israel what they need,” Graham said, noting that it is not Washington’s place to question how Israel waged a war against Hamas militants bent on Israel’s destruction.
Senator Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on Biden to abandon “his politically motivated control.”
“American support for Israel cannot be in doubt, especially now,” he said.
And Representatives Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a joint statement calling for the bombs to be dropped.
‘We are dismayed that the administration has stopped crucial arms shipments to Israel. Withholding weapons from Israel weakens Israel’s deterrence against Iran and its proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah,” they said.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials are concerned that Israel now controls the Gaza side of a crossing into Egypt It is an important conduit for humanitarian aid.
Gaza is experiencing a humanitarian crisis and famine-like conditions.
The seizure and closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only two major entry points in the south for food, medicine and other supplies, has raised fears that the crisis could worsen.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration has assurances that the crossing has been reopened.
‘Israel has told us that it has been opened. It is important to get those trucks in. It is important to bring that aid to Gaza. So, that’s what we want to see,” he said Wednesday.
‘We know how serious the situation is in Gaza. We want to continue receiving this humanitarian aid and we want a ceasefire. We want a ceasefire,’ he noted.
A Palestinian child injured after an Israeli attack is transferred to the Al Kuwaiti hospital in Rafa
An Israeli self-propelled howitzer fires a projectile towards the Gaza Strip near the Kerem Shalom crossing
Meanwhile, Netanyahu was expected to meet with CIA Director William Burns on Wednesday afternoon in Israel, an Israeli official told the New York Times.
Burns has been in the Middle East trying to finalize a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that would allow the release of hostages.
The Hamas attack on October 7 killed about 1,200 people and another 250 were kidnapped, of whom 133 are believed to remain captive in Gaza, according to Israel.
Israel’s campaign to destroy Hamas has so far killed a total of 34,789 Palestinians, mostly civilians, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.
White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that the negotiations were at a “delicate stage” and that “there should be no reason why they cannot overcome the remaining gaps.”