The United States is ‘continuing to review’ a bomb delivery to Israel that it suspended over fears they could be used in Rafah, but is ensuring Israel has ‘what it needs to defend,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday.
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“We are continuing to review a shipment (of) 2,000-pound (907 kg) bombs due to concerns about their use in a densely populated area like Rafah, but everything else is proceeding normally with the goal to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself,” said the head of American diplomacy during a press conference.
He was responding to a question about remarks made Tuesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to which Mr. Blinken had promised him during his recent visit to Israel that “the (American) administration was working day and night to facilitate the reduction of the bottleneck”.
Anthony Blinken
Photo Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP
“How is it possible that the weapons and ammunition that we bought with our money are slow to arrive from the United States?” Mr. Netanyahu said in a speech in Tel Aviv.
Mr. Blinken declined to comment directly on the content of their conversations in Israel, but assured that there was no change in the United States’ position.
“We continue to work on this issue, but there has been no change in our position, which is again to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself,” he said. he says.
The United States, Israel’s primary military and political supporter, suspended the delivery of a shipment of bombs in May, fearing they would be used in the offensive on Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
This cargo consisted of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound (226 kg) bombs.
