Damn Bibi gets what he wants again
US approves transfer of 500lb bombs to Israel as preparations for Lebanon war underway
The White House had allegedly put the shipment on hold over Israel's invasion of Rafah
The White House is expected to soon release a large shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel that it put on hold in April,
Axios reported on 28 June, amid increasing reports that Israel plans to invade Lebanon in the coming weeks.
One US and one Israeli official told
Axiosthat about 1,700 500-pound bombs are expected to be delivered after Israel’s operation in the southern city of Rafah ends, likely in the coming weeks.
The US-supplied bombs have been crucial in helping Israel kill vast numbers of Palestinian civilians. Israel uses the bombs to destroy homes and apartment buildings in densely packed neighborhoods, often killing entire families as they sleep at night. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed over 37,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, over the past eight months.
Already in November 2023, AP
reported that Israel’s bombing campaign was turning Gaza into an “uninhabitable moonscape.”
Israel claims it needs the bombs in case fighting with Hezbollah on the northern border escalates into an all-out war, which appears more and more likely.
In December, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
threatened to do to Beirut what he has done to Gaza.
NBC News
reported on 27 June that the Pentagon is moving US military assets closer to Israel and Lebanon to be ready to evacuate US citizens as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.
Israel wants to create a 16-kilometer buffer zone above the Lebanese border, according to US and Israeli officials speaking with NBC, whether through negotiations or a full-fledged invasion.
US and Israeli officials told
Axios that a shipment of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs is still under review. The White House allegedly put the shipment of both the 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs on hold in April due to concerns over Israel’s invasion of Rafah, where over a million displaced Palestinians were sheltering.
At the time, US President Joe Biden was facing harsh criticism from members of his own political party for his support for Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
However, after talks in Washington this week, the US and Israel managed to resolve some of the problems that have slowed down US weapons shipments to Israel,
Axios reported.
“During the meetings in Washington, we were told that the 500-pound bombs will be released after the Rafah operation is over in two weeks,” an Israeli official said.
A source with direct knowledge of the meetings with Gallant said White House officials clarified there is no hold on the 500-pound bombs and that the pause is only on the 2,000-pound bombs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
released a video last week criticizing Biden for withholding the bombs. According to two US officials speaking with
Axios, the video made it appear that President Biden was “taking orders from Netanyahu.”
