The expanding Israel-Hamas war has led Biden to acknowledge how made-in-US weapons are being used by Israel to bombard civilians in Rafah, encouraging the former to cease further arms supply to its longtime Middle East ally
On Wednesday, Joe Biden discouraged Israel from unloading chaos in Southern Gaza by stopping shipment of nuclear armaments to its longtime Middle East ally. His decision is subsequent to Israel’s refusal to foster ceasefire negotiations with Hamas and despite of international condemnation, go all out to rupture civilian peace in Rafah, a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip.
On May 6, Israel Defense Forces circulated a notice advising Palestinians in Rafah to evacuate immediately. The notice came as a bombshell for major international leaders who have been spending these past few weeks trying to crack a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Watching their own efforts failing to hold efficacy, prominent leaders and United Nation officeholders have joined to condemn Israeli invasion of Rafah.
Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of United Nations, reminded a “full-scale assault on Rafah would be a human catastrophe. Countless more families forced to flee yet again – with nowhere safe to go and countless more civilian casualties.” Rafah became only safe place in entire Gaza Strip for millions of displaced Palestinians after Israel launched unprecedented attacks over northern Gaza and restricted humanitarian aid to reach into the region.
U.S, the “largest” supplier of arms to Israel is now under pressure
In an explosive interview with CNN, Joe Biden reassured his commitment towards the new arms transfer policy. Israel government has assured US administration of their use of American weapons in uniformity with U.S’s policy standard. When asked about whether 2,000 pounds of American bombs have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, Biden said, “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs”, underscoring the growing rift between the United States and its closest Middle East ally.
Joe Biden said he would block the delivery of arm-weapons that could be fired into “densely populated” areas of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. The president had already halted the shipment of more than 3,500 bombs last week out of concern that they might be used in a major assault on Rafah.
United States is by far the biggest supplier of nuclear weapons to Israel. In spite of disapprobation from his own Democratic squad, Joe Biden has continued his unwavering support of Israel’s “right to defend itself” analogy. But Israel’s growing human rights violations in the Middle East has pressured the Biden administration as its plans to deliver a report to Congress this week assessing whether it believes Israel’s assurances that it has used American weapons in accordance to U.S. and International law.
Netanyahu expressed adamancy in crushing Hamas, despite US’s arms support
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Sunday, speaking at a Holocaust memorial, rejected international appeal to thwart its military campaign in Gaza, asserting his unconditional zeal to fight its enemies which he justifies, Israel has a right to do.
Nearly seven months into the war, Mr. Netanyahu has been steadfast in his goal of destroying Hamas. Netanyahu’s insistence on sending troops into Rafah has complicated efforts to end the fighting and raised concerns about the future of the hostages held captive by Hamas. He has expressed his adamancy in going ahead with the invasion in Rafah, rebuffing U.S. warning and solidifying his desperation with eradicating Hamas even if he has to do it alone.
The Israeli war cabinet had unanimously voted, this week, to invade Rafah, and warned some 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate as it started with its “targeted strikes” to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons into Gaza and cut their operative capabilities. Whatever the motivation behind this assault, it would lay enormous burden on civilians who had flee from their hometowns to seek refuge in Rafah. Now that their safe-stop is under attack, the civilians would have to yet again mobilize to another safe-spot which the Human Rights Commission expressed are “limited”.
