Netanyahu criticizes US for restricting arms supplies
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel (photo: Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the US of blocking the supply of certain types of weapons, implying that this is slowing down Israel's advance in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Associated Press (AP).
In a short video, Netanyahu criticized President Joe Biden in English for bottlenecks in arms transfers.
"It’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel. Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster," said the Israeli prime minister.
Netanyahu also stated that during a recent visit to Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured him that he was working around the clock to resolve the delays. However, on Tuesday, Blinken said the only pause was related to heavy bombs delivered to Israel in May.
"We, as you know, are continuing to review one shipment that President Biden has talked about with regard to 2,000-pound bombs because of our concerns about their use in a densely populated area like Rafah. That remains under review. But everything else is moving as it normally would," Blinken said at a State Department briefing.
Netanyahu did not specify which weaponry was delayed, and Israeli military officials declined to comment on AP requests.
Responding to Netanyahu's statement on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We generally do not know what he’s talking about. We just don’t."
She said the US is having constructive discussions with Israel regarding the suspended delivery of heavy bombs and that this is the only shipment delayed.
Suspension of bomb deliveries for Israel
Israel's massive military operation in the Gaza Strip since October last year has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. For this, the US and several European countries have accused Israel of human rights violations.
In May, President Joe Biden suspended the delivery of certain heavy bombs to Israel due to concerns about the Israeli army's killing of civilians in Gaza. The shipment included 1,800 2,000-pound (900 kg) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225 kg) bombs.
However, Israel was prepared to continue military operations in the Gaza Strip even without the armed support of Western allies.
