The United States has authorised a $1 billion arms package for Israel, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalates military actions against Palestinians in Rafah, southern Gaza, where 1.5 million displaced people have sought refuge. This decision follows President Joe Biden’s prior caution to Netanyahu that an assault on Rafah would cross a “red line,” prompting a temporary halt in arms transfers to Israel.
The suspension of arms shipments drew criticism from US lawmakers, particularly Republicans. Senator Lindsey Graham, on Sunday, lambasted Biden, suggesting that Israel should be permitted to use nuclear weapons on Gaza, drawing parallels to the US dropping atomic bombs on Japan during World War Two.
“When we were faced with destruction as a nation after Pearl Harbour, fighting the Germans and the Japanese, we decided to end the war by bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons,” said Graham. “Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war [that] they can’t afford to lose, and work with them to minimise casualties.”
The latest arms package is presently undergoing congressional scrutiny. It encompasses approximately $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million for tactical vehicles, and $60 million for mortar rounds. The precise timing of the shipment remains uncertain.
Biden’s policy reversal comes amid mounting pressure from pro-Israel members of Congress. Republicans in the House of Representatives were poised to introduce legislation mandating the provision of offensive weapons to Israel, arguing that any interruption in military support would amount to abandoning America’s closest ally in the Middle East.
Previously, the White House had postponed the dispatch of 2,000lb and 1,700 500lb bombs due to apprehensions over their potential use in a large-scale invasion of Rafah. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan asserted that while the US would continue to furnish military aid as stipulated in an additional $26 billion supplementary funding bill, the administration believes that such bombs should not be deployed in densely populated urban areas. Washington’s position on this matter is deemed contradictory, given that the entirety of Gaza is one of the most densely populated regions globally.
As Israel’s military campaign enters its seventh month, with devastating repercussions and the deaths of over 35,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, Biden’s backing for Israel has evolved into a political liability, particularly among younger members of his Democratic Party, as he vies for re-election later this year.