The Biden administration last week reportedly stopped a shipment of American ammunition to Israel, the latest development in a growing rift between the two allies over Jerusalem’s war against the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip
Citing two unnamed Israeli officials, Axios reported Sunday that the administration held up the shipment of ammunition that was set to be delivered to the Israeli Defense Forces.
The report did not elaborate on what the ammunition was or what the rationale for holding it back might’ve been.
A Pentagon spokesperson had no comment on the reported ammunition stoppage when asked by The Washington Times.
Some Republican lawmakers quickly seized on the news to take aim at the White House.
“Joe Biden is sanctioning our biggest ally in all but name. The White House is doing this while actively working to rebuild the infrastructure in Gaza that Hamas will use to launch another attack on Israel,” Rep. Brian Mast, Florida Republican, said in a statement.
“Making Israel a sitting duck for Hamas and Iran — who both have also shown a willingness to attack U.S. troops — is not in the interests of America’s national security,” he said.
The Biden administration has become increasingly critical of Israel‘s war in Gaza and has said that too many Palestinian civilians are being killed, despite evidence that Israel has gone to great lengths to avoid the loss of innocent life.
Israel also maintains that Hamas, which systematically embeds its operations in civilian locations such as schools and hospitals, is responsible for the civilian deaths.
The U.S. also has warned Israel against a military operation in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, home to scores of displaced Palestinian civilians. Israel says thousands of Hamas fighters are hiding there.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week said the U.S “cannot, will not support a major military operation in Rafah absent an effective plan to make sure that civilians are not harmed.”
“And no, we have not seen such a plan,” Mr. Blinken said.
Israeli media reported Sunday that three IDF soldiers were killed and another 11 wounded by a Hamas rocket attack fired from the Rafah area.