Senior far-right politicians in Israel expressed their strong criticism towards President Biden after he cautioned that the White House might consider holding back weapons shipments to the Israeli military in the event of a significant ground assault on Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza.
Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, took to social media and posted a concise message implying that the militant group Hamas had an affinity for President Biden’s threat to withhold weapons. He expressed this sentiment with a heart emoji. It is worth noting that Israel has been engaged in a conflict with Hamas in Gaza for the past seven months.
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Parliamentarian Dan Illouz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, expressed concern that the action taken by the U.S. leader not only poses a threat to Israel, but also to the entire free world.
Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, known for his moderate political stance and not being a part of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government, took the opportunity on Thursday to express his disapproval towards his more extreme colleagues. During an event commemorating the victory of the allies over Nazi Germany in World War II, Herzog praised Israel’s “greatest ally, the United States of America,” specifically thanking President Biden for his unwavering support “since the beginning of the conflict.”
Herzog emphasized the importance of resolving disputes and maintaining respectful communication among friends and allies. He stressed the need to avoid making unfounded, irresponsible, and insulting statements and tweets that can undermine national security and the interests of the State of Israel.
In a recent interview with CNN, Mr. Biden expressed his concerns about the potential use of U.S.-supplied weapons in a full-scale Rafah ground offensive that could lead to mass civilian casualties. He firmly stated that it would be morally wrong if such weapons were used in such attacks. Additionally, he made it clear that the United States would not provide the weapons and artillery shells for any operation that resulted in harm to innocent civilians.
U.S. officials have recently confirmed that last week, the Biden administration decided to temporarily halt a weapons shipment to Israel. The shipment included 1,800 one-ton bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. The reason behind this decision was the concern that these weapons could potentially be used by the Israel Defense Forces in an airstrike on Rafah.
Gaza City, located in the southern part of Gaza, is renowned as one of the most densely-populated areas worldwide. It has become a refuge for approximately 1.4 million Palestinians who have sought shelter from the devastated surroundings.
The IDF issued an evacuation order to the residents of the eastern part of the city this week, leading to a frantic departure of thousands. Many of these individuals had already experienced multiple displacements from various locations before.
IDF tanks swiftly moved into position to assume control of the Gaza section of Rafah’s vital border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday. This action occurred shortly after the evacuation order had been issued. Israel explicitly stated that their objective was to conduct a targeted counterterrorism operation aimed at eradicating Hamas terrorists and dismantling their infrastructure in the vicinity.
According to Mr. Biden, if the Israeli military enters population centers, they will not receive support. He clarifies that this decision is not a withdrawal from Israel’s security, but rather a refusal to enable their ability to engage in warfare in these areas.
President Biden emphasized the United States’ commitment to ensuring Israel’s security, specifically mentioning the importance of the Iron Dome system and Israel’s ability to effectively respond to recent attacks from the Middle East.
Netanyahu, in response to increasing pressure from the U.S. and other international partners to restrict operations in Rafah, has recently stated that “if Israel is compelled to face the situation alone, Israel will face it alone.”
He has made a commitment to proceed with the Rafah operation, stating repeatedly that it is crucial to eliminate the large number of Hamas fighters who are hiding in the city. Rafah is widely recognized as the final bastion of the group that governed Gaza for nearly twenty years, prior to instigating the ongoing conflict through their devastating terrorist assault on Israel on October 7.
According to Israel, approximately 1,200 individuals lost their lives during the assault by Hamas, with an additional 240 individuals being taken hostage. It is estimated that there are still around 100 captives in Gaza, including five individuals who are United States citizens.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the enclave, the retaliatory war by Israel has resulted in the deaths of nearly 35,000 people. It is worth noting that Gazan officials do not differentiate between combatant and civilian casualties. On the other hand, the IDF claims, without providing evidence, that its response to the October 7 attack has resulted in the killing of approximately 10,000 terrorists.
As Israel launched its Rafah operations this week, terrified residents of Gaza have been fleeing from Israeli airstrikes on a daily basis. This influx of people seeking safety has overwhelmed the Kuwaiti Hospital, the city’s only functioning healthcare facility, with an increasing number of casualties.
Dr. Jamal Al-Humss, the director-general of the hospital, expressed deep concern over the dire health conditions prevailing in Rafah. In an interview with CBS News, he emphasized that the situation has deteriorated significantly, leaving approximately 300,000 individuals dependent on the overwhelmed and understaffed facility.
In the past few days, Hamas, which has always been regarded as a terrorist group by the U.S. and Israel, has persistently carried out rocket and mortar attacks from Rafah. A tragic incident occurred on Sunday when four Israeli soldiers lost their lives due to one of these strikes.
According to Chuck Freilich, an Israeli national security expert from the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, it is acknowledged that there are probably still four Hamas battalions active in Rafah. However, in an interview with CBS News on Thursday, Freilich argued that Israel has both achieved victory and suffered defeat in its conflict with Hamas.
According to a military perspective, Israel emerged victorious in the war by the middle of December. As stated by the source, “We had essentially destroyed Hamas as a military force.”
According to Freilich, Israel’s international standing has taken a hit, creating a growing divide with the United States. From a strategic perspective, Israel may be seen as losing the war. This is seen as a significant achievement for Hamas, but it poses a severe problem for Israel.
