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Biden won't supply Israel with offensive weapons for Gaza assault
President Joe Biden has stated that he will not provide offensive weapons to Israel for an all-out assault on Rafah, Gaza, out of concern for the 1 million civilians sheltering there. The U.S. will still supply defensive arms to Israel, but Biden has paused a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel. This decision comes as the Biden administration is due to deliver a formal verdict on whether the airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid have violated international and U.S. laws. The decision to pause the shipment has drawn criticism from some U.S. lawmakers, while others have expressed support for it. Israeli troops have seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing, but the White House has described this as a limited operation. The U.S.-Israel relationship has been close through both Democratic and Republican administrations, but there have been other moments of deep tension since Israel’s founding in which U.S. leaders have threatened to hold up aid in an attempt to sway Israeli leadership.
