Biden administration mum on report of withheld military support to Israel
The Biden administration has not publicly responded to new information that it put a hold on a shipment of U.S. ammunition to Israel.
Israeli officials told Axios that the ammunition shipment to Israel was stopped last week, which marks the first time since the Oct. 7 attack that the U.S. halted a weapons shipment intended for the Israeli military.
The Department of Defense and State Department declined to comment to the Washington Examiner on the news. A National Security Council spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics as well but provided a statement on the U.S.’s general support for Israel.
“The United States has surged billions of dollars in security assistance to Israel since the October 7 attacks, passed the largest ever supplemental appropriation for emergency assistance to Israel, led an unprecedented coalition to defend Israel against Iranian attacks, and will continue to do what is necessary to ensure Israel can defend itself from the threats it faces,” the spokesperson added.
Lawmakers from both parties have weighed in on the halted aid.
“The United States has an obligation to uphold its own laws and to respect human rights globally. Amidst the Israeli gov’s siege on Gaza, blocking humanitarian aid, and threats on Rafah, withholding US military aid is a major development towards ceasefire,” Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-D) said on X, while Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-R) described the decision as “abandoning our greatest ally,” and called it “disgusting.”
The Biden administration has faced significant criticism for its continued military support to Israel over the course of the war amid allegations that the Israeli military was committing war crimes.
Back in February, the administration asked Israel to provide assurances that U.S.-made weapons were being used by Israel Defense Forces in Gaza in accordance with international law, and they did so in March.
The war appears to be nearing its next inflection point. Israeli leaders continue to declare their intent to carry out a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, where more than a million Palestinians have fled during the war. It’s also where Hamas’s last remaining battalions are hiding.
The U.S. does not support an Israeli invasion of Rafah without significant and extensive planning to protect the civilians sheltering there.
“We’ve been briefed on their latest thinking, but as we understand, it is not a finalized plan yet. Our position on a potential major ground invasion of Rafah remains the same, and we’ll continue to have these conversations with the Israelis,” a U.S. official told the Washington Examiner on Friday.
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The Biden administration is hoping Hamas will agree to the current ceasefire proposal, which would, in effect, delay, if not prevent altogether, an Israeli invasion of Rafah. Israel and Hamas have not been able to come to a ceasefire agreement over the last several months due to demands from both sides.
There is also the possibility that the International Criminal Court could issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders regarding actions taken in Gaza. Both Israel and the U.S. have said they would not support it.
