US approves $1bn arms package to Israel in apparent U-turn

The US has given the green light to a $1 billion arms package for Israel, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensified his military onslaught against the Palestinians in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, where 1.5 million displaced people have been seeking shelter. The move comes after President Joe Biden had previously warned Netanyahu that an assault on Rafah would cross a “red line,” leading his administration to temporarily halt arms transfers to Israel.

READ: White House backtracks on Biden saying Israeli invasion of Rafah is ‘red line’

The pause in arms shipments sparked a backlash from US lawmakers, primarily Republicans. On Sunday, US Senator Lindsey Graham berated Biden and said that Israel should be allowed to nuke Gaza, comparing it 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 currently undergoing congressional review. It includes approximately $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles, and $60 million in mortar rounds. The exact timing of the shipment remains unclear.

Biden’s U-turn comes as pro-Israel members of Congress ratchet up pressure. Republicans in the House of Representatives were set to introduce legislation mandating the delivery of offensive weapons to Israel, arguing that any pause in military support would constitute an abandonment of America’s closest ally in the Middle East.

The White House had previously delayed the shipment of 2,000lb and 1,700 500lb bombs due to concerns over their potential use in a large-scale invasion of Rafah. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that while the US would continue to provide military assistance as outlined in an additional $26 billion supplemental funding bill, the administration believes that such bombs should not be deployed in densely populated urban areas. Washington’s requirement in this respect is seen as contradictory, given that the whole of Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

As Israel’s military onslaught enters its seventh month, with devastating consequences and the killing of more than 35,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, Biden’s support for Israel has become a political liability, particularly among younger members of his own Democratic Party as he seeks re-election later this year.

READ: UNRWA: 450,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced from Rafah