On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden told CNN that the United States will refrain from providing weapons to Israel if they are intended for use in a significant military operation in Rafah. These comments mark the president’s initial response regarding the U.S. arms supply to Israel, subsequent to the administration’s recent decision to temporarily halt the delivery of bombs.
This decision serves as a cautionary measure, emphasizing that Israel should not initiate an invasion in Rafah without ensuring the credible safeguarding of civilian lives.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden said, referring to 2,000-pound bombs whose delivery to Israel has been halted. U.S. media reported that also being delayed was the transfer of 500-pound bombs.
“We’re going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently,” Biden said. “But it’s, it’s just wrong. We’re not going to — we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells.”
Biden said Israel’s actions so far have yet to cross a red line of entering heavily populated areas in Rafah.
“They haven’t gone into the population centers. What they did is right on the border. And it’s causing problems with, right now, in terms of – with Egypt, which I’ve worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help,” Biden said.
“I’ve made it clear to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) and the (Israeli) War Cabinet: They’re not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers,” he said.
Biden’s statement was seen by American media as setting a clear boundary for the Israeli government. It is also noteworthy that the president admitted that the bombs his country supplied to Israel were used to kill civilians in the Gaza conflict, suggesting that the United States had a role in the violence.
During his testimony on the Pentagon’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal earlier in the day, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed Senators on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon is committed to ensuring Israel’s defense capabilities. However, he mentioned that they are currently reassessing some security assistance shipments in light of the ongoing events in Rafah.