Washington [US], May 9: US President Joe Biden publicly warned Israel for the first time that the US will stop supplying weapons to the country if Israeli forces launch a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
"I have made it clear that if they enter Rafah ..., I will not provide the weapons that were used against Rafah, to deal with the cities...We will not provide the weapons and ammunition artillery was used," President Biden said in an interview with CNN on May 8.
Mr. Biden admitted that American weapons were used by Israel to kill civilians in the Gaza Strip , where Israel conducted a 7-month attack to destroy Hamas. The Gaza Health Authority released the latest figures showing that Israel's offensive campaign has so far killed 34,789 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Reuters.
This week, Israel launched a ground attack on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge, but described it as a limited operation.
A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Washington had carefully considered the supply of weapons that could be used in Rafah and as a result had halted the shipment of 1,800 907 kg bombs and 1,700 bombs. weighs 226 kg, according to Reuters.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the decision was made out of concern for Rafah, where Washington opposes a major Israeli invasion without civilian protection.
"Civilians have died in Gaza as a result of those bombs and other ways they attack population centers," Mr. Austin said when asked about the 907 kg bombs sent to Israel.
Israel launched an offensive campaign in Gaza after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack killed about 1,200 people and held about 250 others hostage, including 133 believed to still be held in Gaza, according to statistics from Israel.
President Biden said the US will continue to provide defense weapons to Israel, including the Iron Dome air defense system. "We will continue to ensure Israel is safe about Iron Dome and their ability to respond to recent attacks from the Middle East," Mr. Biden emphasized.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
