Israel Delivery of Some Weapons to be Delayed for Review by Austin
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated, “We are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of the unfolding events in Rafah.”
The delivery of certain munitions to Israel has been postponed by the Biden administration as it evaluates their use against civilians in Gaza, according to the nation’s top military official.
During a May 8 hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned that the Pentagon is reassessing some planned weapons shipments to Israel amid the possibility of an Israeli siege of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Mr. Austin made it clear that a final decision has not been reached on halting the shipments in question altogether.
“We’re assessing. We have not made any final decisions on this yet… There are some things that we’re taking a closer look at,” Mr. Austin stated.
There are currently approximately 1.5 million people in Rafah, the majority of whom were displaced from their homes in the north due to Israel’s initial offensive. The Biden administration is concerned that a significant Israeli military operation in the area could result in tens of thousands of civilian casualties.
Mr. Austin disclosed that he held discussions with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant earlier in the week, reiterating the administration’s request for Israel to evacuate civilians from the Gaza battlespace and permit increased humanitarian aid to reach the besieged region.
Mr. Austin informed the Senate on Tuesday that precision munitions could assist Israel in limited operations in Rafah. However, the delayed shipments consist of “high-payload munitions” that would cause excessive collateral damage if utilized in such a setting.
“It’s about having the right kinds of weapons for the task at hand,” Mr. Austin explained. “A small-diameter bomb, which is a precision weapon that’s very useful in a densely built-up environment, is very helpful. But maybe not so much a 2,000-pound bomb that could create a lot of collateral damage.”
“Again, we’ve made no decision to prevent shipments. We’re assessing,” he added.
Furthermore, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller mentioned that the administration has “paused one shipment” of immediate assistance and is examining others to avoid further loss of life.
Many Republican members of the committee expressed frustration with the administration’s review of certain weapons.
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) responded to Mr. Austin during Tuesday’s hearing, asserting that any delay in weapons deliveries amounts to not supporting Israel.
