The Biden administration in recent days quietly authorized the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
The approval came amid recent tensions between the US and Israel over the American opposition to an Israeli military offensive in Rafah, in southern Gaza.
The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, Pentagon and State Department officials familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
The development underscores that while rifts have emerged between the United States and Israel over the war’s conduct, the Biden administration views weapons transfers as off-limits when considering how to influence the actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We have continued to support Israel’s right to defend itself,” said a White House official. “Conditioning aid has not been our policy.”
The US administration has repeatedly stressed its opposition to an Israeli operation in Rafah. Blinken, who visited Israel last week, reiterated that position and said,“We share Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas, which is responsible for the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. And we share the goal of ensuring Israel’s long-term security. As we’ve said, though, a major military ground operation in Rafah is not the way to do it.”
President Joe Biden recently told MSNBC that an Israeli operation in Rafah would be a “red line” but also stated that “the defense of Israel is still critical” and as such would not reduce aid.
US Vice President Kamala Harris also recently made clear that the US would not create any conditions for the aid it gives to Israel. However, Politico has previously reported that Biden, Harris and other administration officials have grown increasingly willing to criticize Israel’s approach to battling Hamas.
