U.S. Reportedly Suspended A Weapons Shipment To Israel With Rafah Invasion Imminent

The stunning diplomatic shift would appear to be the first instance of the Biden administration withholding U.S. arms from Israel since Oct. 7.

The U.S. reportedly put a hold last week on a weapons shipment to Israel ― a stunning diplomatic shift as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to go against the Biden administration’s warnings and move forward with a military invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah.

The alleged pause in large shipment of offensive weapons appears to be the first instance of the Biden administration withholding U.S.-made arms from Israel since Oct. 7, when Netanyahu launched a military campaign on Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people and took around 250 hostage, roughly 100 of whom are suspected to still be alive in captivity.

The delivery halt was first reported on Sunday by Axios, citing two unidentified Israeli officials who said the incident raised concerns internally, and led officials within Netanyahu’s government to try and figure out why the U.S. was holding the shipment. MSNBC confirmed the halt on Monday, citing two senior Biden administration officials familiar with the decision.

The White House, the Pentagon and the Israeli government did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for confirmation of Axios’ report. The State Department declined to comment.

Since Israel’s current military campaign began seven months ago, health officials in the Palestinian territories say soldiers have killed more than 34,000 people, displaced most of the population, destroyed important infrastructure like hospitals and universities, detained and tortured civilians, and created a widespread famine by blocking most humanitarian aid from entering the enclave. Israeli troops and settlers have also been attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, which is not governed by Hamas.