The United States has temporarily halted a bomb shipment to Israel due to apprehensions that Israel may be planning a significant ground operation in southern Gaza’s Rafah region. Speaking anonymously, a senior US administration official disclosed that the shipment comprised 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. The move comes as Israel has not sufficiently addressed the humanitarian needs of civilians in Rafah, according to the official. Israel has not issued an immediate response.
Israeli forces, supported by tanks, recently seized control of the vital Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border, which was followed by further Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Notably, Rafah has been the target of intense Israeli bombardment, resulting in casualties, including the deaths of seven members of a single family in an overnight strike.
Rafah serves as a crucial aid entry point and the sole exit for those seeking refuge since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. Accordingly, Israeli military authorities ordered the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians from eastern Rafah in preparation for what they termed a “limited” operation against Hamas fighters and infrastructure.
Negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners continue in Cairo between Israeli and Hamas delegations, mediated by third parties. The US has consistently urged Israel not to launch a major ground operation in Rafah, given the large number of sheltering civilians. Ongoing discussions are being held to address humanitarian concerns and develop a different operational strategy against Hamas in Rafah compared to other Gaza areas.
