In a move aimed at putting pressure on Israel, US President Joe Biden’s administration halted the shipment of powerful bombs to Israel, at the same time as the Israeli army launched a new operation in a city Rafah, which is densely populated and displaced from the Gaza Strip. .
For several weeks, Israel has been threatening an all-out attack on Rafah and has said this is aimed at defeating the thousands of Hamas terrorists trapped there, but Western countries and The United Nations warns that an all-out attack on Rafah will cause a humanitarian catastrophe.
The US Defense Secretary explains why he suspended the shipment of weapons to Israel
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that President Joe Biden’s decision to halt the shipment of high explosive weapons to Israel was taken in the context of Israel’s plans to launch an attack in Rafah, which Washington is against it, without new promises about the protection of civilians.
The move to ban US bomb shipments is the clearest sign of the growing rift between the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the administration of President Joe Biden, who have asked Israel for more to protect civilian life in Gaza.
Last April, the Biden administration began reviewing future shipments of military aid, as the Netanyahu government appeared close to attacking Rafah, despite months of opposition. that from the White House.
A senior administration official said on Tuesday that the decision to stop the shipment was made last week, and will take effect permanently at a later date.
This is the first delay of its kind for arms deliveries since the Biden administration gave its full support to Israel following the October 7 attack by Hamas. Washington is Israel’s closest ally and its main arms supplier.
Smart bombs
The shipment consists of 1,800 bombs weighing 900 kilograms, and 1,700 bombs weighing 225 kilograms, according to the official who spoke to the Wall Street Journal on condition of anonymity.
The official said Washington was focusing “primarily on the end use of the 900-kilogram bombs and their potential impact in densely populated urban areas as we have seen in other parts of Gaza . “
Axios quoted an American official as saying that there are many other military deals with Israel that the US State Department is reviewing, including the supply of “JDAM” equipment that turns “dumb bombs” into precision weapons. .
In recent weeks, Washington has quietly made changes to arms sales to Israel, moving forward with the sale of up to 6,500 JDAM equipment, according to officials familiar with the proposed deal. .
The Wall Street Journal reported that Congress first learned about the proposed deal, worth up to $260 million, in January, but the Biden administration has not moved forward with it since then.
A senior administration official said the US State Department is reviewing the sale.
American officials confirmed that these possible contracts include the transfer of $700 million in 120 mm tank weapons, $500 million in tactical vehicles, and less than $100 million in 120 mm mortar shells.
What is “JDAM”
Four sources told POLITICO that the weapons ships, whose delivery has been delayed by at least two weeks, include a Boeing-made Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), which turns bombs guided into precision guided bombs, as well as small diameter bombs.
A US administration official familiar with the process told Politico that while the Biden administration has not officially denied the potential sale, it is going to action by inaction or canceling permits and other aspects of the arms transfer process, to send a message to Israel.
This appears to be the first time Washington has suspended arms sales to Israel since the October 7 attack, according to the newspaper.
A senior congressional aide and two others familiar with the incident said the weapons were ready to be sent to Israel when they were reportedly intercepted.
A third person, a defense industry official, said the administration had asked Boeing to stop the shipment since approval was suspended for “political reasons,” not because of supply chain pressure.
Another congressional aide said the case, which is considered a direct commercial sale between Israel and a contractor that requires administrative approval, is “on hold.”
The Joint Direct Attack Missile (JDAM), manufactured by Boeing, is a guidance facility that turns unguided (dumb) bombs into “smart” weapons with precise guidance using advanced guidance systems and GPS.
JDAM improves the accuracy of unguided bombs in any weather, allowing aircraft to use weapons accurately against fixed and hard-to-penetrate ground targets.
This type of weapon began to be used in 1999 during the US-led Allied War in Kosovo, before being used more deeply in the Second Gulf War in 2003.
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2024-05-08 16:20:15
