New Delhi: Israel has slammed the US for its decision to withhold supply of arms to the country in the face of a planned offensive on Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where more than a million Palestinians have taken shelter.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir expressed his discontent on social media site X (formerly Twitter) with a controversial post which simply said: “Hamas
Biden”.
Ben-Gvir’s post follows America’s decision to halt a shipment of ammunition to Israel as a warning against the anticipated invasion of Rafah by Israel Defence Forces.
During a hearing at Capitol Hill Wednesday, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said one shipment of ammunition had been paused due to concerns over civilian casualties in the southern Gaza Strip.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of these bombs (sent by the US to Israel). It’s just wrong,” said President Joe Biden in an interview to CNN Wednesday, saying he would stop ammunition shipments altogether if Israel invaded Rafah.
On 6 May, Israel ordered civilians in Rafah to evacuate, signalling an attack on the region, following which Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed 25 people in the city.
Far-Right leader Ben-Gvir, who is chairman of the Otzma Yehudit Party, is not new to controversy. In April this year, he suggested sentencing Palestinian prisoners accused of terrorism to death as a solution to avoid overcrowding of prisons. In another instance, he asked Palestinians to resettle outside the Gaza Strip, drawing a sharp rebuke from the US State Department. He dismissed this by saying Israel was “no longer a star on the American flag”.
Hamas ❤️Biden
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 9, 2024
Meanwhile, opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday demanding Ben-Gvir be removed from his post. “If Netanyahu does not fire Ben Gvir today, he is endangering every soldier in the IDF and every citizen in the State of Israel,” Lapid said in a statement.
Also read: Russia slams US over Pannun case, alleges Washington meddling in India’s elections
Israel frustrated
Israel has expressed its discomfort at the possibility that American shipments may stop though the decision has not been finalised yet, only paused.
“You can’t win the war without allowing Israel to win it,” said Gilad Erdan, the Israeli ambassador to the UN as he expressed his “frustration” and “disappointment” at being let down by the US.
Micheal Herzog, the Israeli ambassador to the United States has written to 88 American lawmakers expressing disappointment, denying allegations that Israel withheld humanitarian aid from Palestinians. “At no point during the war has Israel had a policy of deliberately withholding humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. Israel merely inspects trucks carrying goods to ensure they’re not transporting weapons or explosives,” the letter read. He explained in this letter how “denying Israel weapons” would be at Hamas’s advantage.
Why is Rafah important?
Rafah is a city in the southern Gaza Strip that shares its border with Egypt. It is through Rafah that the region can be accessed by international civil society and humanitarian aid be provided. Food, medical supplies and fuel are sent through the region and various aid groups are stationed here.
The US has on multiple occasions condemned civilian casualties incurred during the Israeli military offensive in Gaza. A report to determine whether Israel violated US and international humanitarian law in Gaza, slated to be released Thursday by the Biden administration, has been delayed.
According to reports, the United States was considering imposing sanctions on an Israeli military unit, the Netzah Yehuda Battalion. It is accused of human rights violations, and also responsible for the death of an 80-year-old Palestinian American Omar Assad. It was only after Israel paid compensation to the victim’s family that the US let up on an investigation.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also read: More young US adults sympathise with Palestinians than Israelis, stark contrast with older Americans