Washington: Despite an apparent rift between the United States and Israel over a military offensive in Gaza's Rafah, Washington is sending a new package of more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, according to three congressional aides on Tuesday. The White House has faced intense pressure from both sides of the political spectrum for its staunch military support to Israel in the seven-month-long war.
It is the first arms shipment to Israel to be announced by the Biden administration since it put another transfer of 3,500 bombs on hold earlier this month amid mounting concerns over the Rafah assault. Some of US President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats have pushed him to limit transfers of offensive weapons to Israel to pressure it to do more to protect Palestinian civilians, but Republicans have sharply criticised the withholding of arms shipments.
The package being sent includes about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, the congressional aides said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an arms transfer that has not yet been made public. There was no immediate indication when the arms would be sent.
House Republicans to advance bill on mandatory delivery
Meanwhile, US House Republicans are planning this week to advance a bill to mandate the delivery of offensive weaponry for Israel following Biden's move to pause a shipment of bombs. Biden also warned that he will stop supplying weapons if Israeli forces launch a major invasion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are taking refuge and thousands have been evacuated, which was further criticised by Republicans, saying it represents the abandonment of its closest ally in the Middle East.
The White House on Tuesday said Biden would veto the bill if it were to pass the US Congress. The bill also has practically no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate. However, House Democrats are somewhat divided on the issue, and roughly two dozen have signed onto a letter to the Biden administration saying they were “deeply concerned about the message” sent by pausing the bomb shipment.
One of the letter’s signers, New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, said he would likely vote for the bill, despite the White House’s opposition. “I have a general rule of supporting pro-Israel legislation unless it includes a poison pill — like cuts to domestic policy,” he said.
Israel pushes deeper into Rafah
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Rafah on Tuesday, reaching some residential areas of the southern Gazan border city where more than a million people had sought shelter. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "appalled" by the escalation of the military activity in and around Rafah which was further impeding desperately needed aid deliveries and worsening “an already dire situation".
Additionally, Israel said it struck a school run by the United Nations in central Gaza on Tuesday, allegedly killing 15 militants who were using part of the school as a “war room” for Hamas commanders. A UN convoy was hit by an Israeli strike in the previous day, killing an Indian staff member and injuring another staffer.
Around 450,000 Palestinians have been driven out of Rafah in Gaza’s south over the past week, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday. No food has entered the two main border crossings in southern Gaza for the past week and some 1.1 million Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger.
(with inputs from AP)
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