Netanyahu, Blinken provide conflicting accounts on US weapons to Israel
Al Jazeera
Israeli PM says the US promised to remove restrictions on arms, but Washington says bomb shipment still under review.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the United States promised him to remove restrictions on arms transfer to Israel as the country continues its war on Gaza, a claim that Washington appeared to reject.
Netanyahu said in a video statement on Tuesday that it was “inconceivable” that the administration of President Joe Biden has been “withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel” in recent months.
“Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that’s the case. It should be the case,” Netanyahu said, referring to talks the top US diplomat held in the country last week.
Washington provides $3.8bn in military assistance to Israel annually, and in April, Biden signed a law granting the US ally $17bn in additional aid amid Israel’s war on Gaza.
Biden and his top aides often stress their commitment to Israel, but Washington confirmed last month holding up a single shipment of 900kg (2,000 pound) bombs to the Israeli military over concerns about civilian casualties in Israel’s assault on Rafah in southern Gaza.
