US President Joe Biden cautioned Israel over the threat to assault Rafah, a city that is located in the south of Gaza, and if it did happen, the US would not supply any weapons to Israel. In his interview with CNN, Biden portrayed his stand, as he highlighted his worries about the use of a kind of guns that were previously used in the earlier violence that revolved around Rafah and similar cases.
A disturbed tone showed that Biden threatened Israeli with harsh measures if they did not listen. The differences between the United States and a major power in the Middle East were growing. The president recognized US aerial bombings as the main culprit for at least some of the civilian casualties during the seven-month offensive with Hamas.
As Israel is putting more emphasis on the possibility of restraining itself from a large-scale attack against Rafah, Biden’s strong but plain statements have elevated the pressure. Now, Rafah is a sanctuary hosting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have taken refuge in Gaza after being driven out of the fighting at other locations inside of Gaza.
During a press conference, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu verified his decision to launch the Rafah operation, while no response was made yet from Israel about Biden’s warning. From continuous pressure from Democratic Party members and campus protests, Biden was more and more forced to compromise the probability of an invasion of towns such as Rafah.
In seeking re-election, he has Israel’s support as he faces a political dilemma. Though arms makers and the U.S. government have been the largest trading partners with Israel, before the October Hamas strikes, deliveries have spiked. Nevertheless, the imposition of the arms supply embargo on Israel, as well as humanitarian issues in Gaza, has somewhat restricted the flow of armaments there.
As Israel proceeded with tank and air strikes across the board on Gaza, they also advanced through the Rafah desert border crossing with Egypt, cutting an important connection channel used to deliver much-needed aid.
