Lloyd J. Austin III, U.S. Secretary of Defense, told a Senate committee on Wednesday that the United States had been clear “from the beginning that Israel should not launch a major attack on Rafah without accountability and protection of civilians.” that are in that battlespace, and again, while we assess the situation, we have stopped a shipment of high payload munitions.”
According to a New York Times investigation, bombs weighing 2,000 pounds, some of the largest in the Israeli arsenal, were routinely used in the first weeks of the war, even in areas the military had designated safe for civilians.
Earlier on Tuesday, after warning civilians to evacuate to nearby safe areas, Israeli tanks advanced toward Rafah, taking over the Gaza side of the city’s border crossing with Egypt. Hours after that action, which fell short of a total invasion, the White House confirmed the pause in sending bombs.
Alon Pinkas, a former diplomat for Israel, said the US decision was motivated by growing American frustration with Netanyahu, as well as pressure from some congressional Democrats to more closely monitor Israel’s use of US weapons. And he added that it was a signal to Israel that a full-scale invasion of Rafah could have more consequences.
“The logic behind this is a warning: If you don’t get your act together, many more obstructions could arise,” Pinkas said.
Matan Kahana, a lawmaker from the party of Benny Gantz, a political rival of Netanyahu who is also a member of the wartime emergency government, said in an interview on Israeli Army Radio on Wednesday that, at the very least, the decision underscored dependence on American munitions.