U.S. President Joe Biden has instructed his team to continue working with Israel "to inflict a lasting defeat" on Hamas. The White House emphasized that the United States "has not made a final decision regarding the shipment that has been suspended for Israel." It added, "We have presented Israel with some alternatives on how to pursue Hamas elements."
President Biden stated on Wednesday that the bombs supplied by the U.S. to Israel, which have now stopped being sent, were used in the killing of Palestinian civilians. In an interview with CNN, when asked about the bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) that Washington was sending to Israel, he said: "Civilians in Gaza have been killed as a result of those bombs and other ways in which they target residential areas."
The U.S. President further remarked: "If Israel enters Rafah, we will not supply them with the weapons historically used to address this problem." He stressed that "we will continue ensuring that Israel remains safe regarding the Iron Dome and its ability to respond to recent attacks originating from the Middle East."
The United States has suspended an arms shipment to Israel that includes heavy bombs used in a campaign against Hamas fighters in Gaza, which has resulted in over 34,000 Palestinian deaths so far. This suspension comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues a military assault on the Palestinian city of Rafah despite President Biden's objections.
