US stops supplying ammunition to Israel first time since October
US stops supplying ammunition to Israel (photo: Getty Images)
The United States has suspended the supply of ammunition to the Israeli army. This happened for the first time since last October when Hamas militants attacked Israel, reports Axios.
Two Israeli officials told Axios that the US administration suspended the supply of American ammunition to Israel last week.
According to Axios, the Israeli government is very concerned about this decision. According to Axios' interlocutors, Israeli officials are trying to find out the reason for the delay in the delivery of military supplies.
The White House, the Pentagon, the US State Department, and the Israeli Prime Minister's office refused to answer Axios' questions about the delivery of US ammunition to Israel.
As Axios added, US President Joe Biden has faced sharp criticism from Americans who do not support Israel and criticize it for strikes on civilian targets in the Gaza Strip.
In February, the United States asked Israel to provide guarantees that American weapons would be used by the Israeli army exclusively in accordance with international law. In March, Israel sent the United States a letter of assurance.
In addition, last Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel and allegedly had a "tough" conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israeli plans to conduct a military operation in the last major city of the Gaza Strip, according to Axios sources. Blinken warned that the United States would publicly oppose a "major military operation," and that it could negatively affect relations between Washington and Tel Aviv.
War in the Gaza Strip
Last October, militants of the Hamas terrorist group infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip and committed massacres of the Israeli population, as well as took several hundred hostages.
In response, Israel launched a military operation and invaded the Gaza Strip. This war continues to this day, although Israel has taken control of virtually the entire territory of the Strip and captured the city of Gaza.
Currently, the Israeli army does not control only Rafah, the second largest city in the Gaza Strip.
According to Western media, the United States, together with other countries, is working to achieve peace in the Gaza Strip, but Israel seeks the complete destruction of Hamas militants. Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected the possibility of signing a peace agreement with Hamas.
