Biden: US Won't Supply Offensive Weapons for Rafah Assault

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MAY 9 2024: Biden: US Won't Supply Offensive Weapons for Rafah Assault

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MAY 9 2024

Image copyright: Amir Levy/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Imagesstory last updated MAY 10 2024

The Facts

US Pres. Joe Biden said Wednesday that if Israel invades Rafah, the US will not "supply the weapons and artillery shells used.” Biden said the US is committed to Israel's security, but acknowledged for the first time that US weapons have killed civilians in Gaza. [1]
Biden's comments came after it was earlier reported that the US would not supply Israel with a shipment of 500- and 2k-pound bombs. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed the weapons delay, telling a Senate subcommittee that the US paused “one shipment of high payload munitions." [1]
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Thursday that the Israeli military has enough munitions for its planned operations in Rafah. Hagari called US support for Israel "unprecedented" during the war and said that disagreements can be solved "behind closed doors." [2]

Sources

[1] Associated Press [2] The Times of Israel [3] CBS [4] Reuters

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

The US is committed to preventing malicious actors from threatening Israel's legitimate concerns and making sure Israel can defend itself from terror. However, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has gotten out of hand, and the Biden administration won't support further offensive action in Rafah. Netanyahu must keep his promises to work with US allies to resolve this conflict.

New York Times

Pro-Israel narrative

There's only one word to describe the Biden administration's current policy toward Israel: betrayal. At the climax of this war, Biden has unilaterally decided that the opinions of pro-Hamas fanatics are more important than Israel's legitimate security concerns. Other US allies should take heed.

Jerusalem Post

Pro-Palestine narrative

After over half a year of grinding brutality, the Biden administration is running damage control for its grotesque policies. The US has helped Israel destroy Gaza every step of the way, and now that the deed is done, the US wants to end offensive arms shipments. It's simply too little, too late.

Al Jazeera