US paused bomb shipment to Israel over concerns about Rafah invasion
Millions of displaced Palestinians are being forced to evacuate their make-shift homes in Rafah as concerns mount over Israel's full-scale invasion of the city, ITV News Senior International Correspondent John Irvine reports
The US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns about a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a senior administration official said.
The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound (900kg) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225kg) bombs, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The official said the Biden administration began reviewing military shipments to Israel in April due to fears of the invasion in Rafah, with the decision to cancel the bomb deliveries made last week.
The US was particularly concerned about the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting.
More than one million civilians are sheltering in Rafah after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which came after the militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7.
The US has dropped the 2,000-pound bomb sparingly in its long war against the Islamic State militant group.
Israel, by contrast, has used the bomb frequently in the seven-month Gaza war.
Experts say the use of the weapon, in part, has contributed to the high death toll of Palestinians, which the Hamas-run health ministry puts at more than 34,000.
An Israeli tank brigade entered the Rafah crossing early on Tuesday morning in order to take "operational control" of the area, which is crucial for both aid and those able to flee into Egypt.
The UN and aid groups have protested the seizure of the crossing and complained that Israeli forces had closed it to all deliveries, but on Wednesday the IDF said it was now open.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says it has only three days of fuel for its medical operations in southern Gaza, and shortages have already forced one of three hospitals in the city of Rafah to shut down.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the capture of the crossing was an "important step" to dismantling Hamas's military and economic capabilities."
The operation came despite Hamas accepting an Egyptian-Qatari mediated ceasefire proposal on Monday.
The move by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has been seen as the start of their long-planned offensive in Rafah, despite intense international pressure to call it off over fears of a humanitarian catastrophe.
The US has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid for Israel which the IDF heavily relies on to operate.
That has only accelerated in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack that killed some 1,200 in Israel and led to about 250 being taken captive by militants.
The pausing of the shipment is the most striking manifestation of the growing tension between Mr Netanyahu’s government and the administration of US President Joe Biden, which has called on Israel to do far more to protect the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza.
It also comes as the Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict this week on whether the airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid have violated international and US laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war.
A decision against Israel would further add to pressure on Biden to curb the flow of weapons and money to Israel’s military.
Following the pause in US supplies, Israel has said it has re-opened its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza.
But the UN has said no humanitarian aid has passed through the corridor, and if it had, there is no one there to receive it on the Palestinian side because workers have fled due to Israeli incursions.
The US said it is concerned over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians crammed into Rafah, most of whom fled fighting elsewhere.
Israel says Rafah is Hamas' last stronghold and that a wider offensive there is needed to dismantle the group's military and governing capabilities.
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