https://news.antiwar.com/2024/03/17/us-considering-giving-israel-more-military-aid-as-leverage/
US Considering Giving Israel More Military Aid as Leverage
An Israeli official complained that US weapons shipments have been slow
by Dave DeCamp
Recent media reports have said there are discussions within the Biden administration to condition military aid to Israel if it invades Rafah as a way to reduce civilian casualties. The assumption was that the US could threaten to cut off or reduce its weapons supply to Israel, but according to a report from ABC News, the US might do the opposite.
The report cited US officials who said the US hasn’t made a decision on leveraging military aid and that “it’s possible additional aid — not less — would be offered as an incentive” to reduce civilian casualties.
The US officials made the comments in response to a senior Israeli official complaining that US weapons shipments weren’t coming fast enough. The official said that in the wake of October 7, US arms “were coming very fast,” but “we are now finding that it’s very slow.”
US officials denied there was any intentional slowdown in weapons shipments to Israel. When asked about the Israeli claim, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US was continuing to supply Israel with arms.
“I’m not gonna get into the timeline for every individual system that’s being provided,” Kirby said. “We continue to support Israel with their self-defense needs. That’s not going to change, and we have been very, very direct about that.”
The US provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid, and the Biden administration has approved over 100 arms deals since October 7 to support the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. The US is looking to give Israel another $14 billion as part of a $95 billion foreign military aid bill that’s passed through the Senate but has yet to be voted on in the House.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said Sunday that the death toll in Gaza since Israel unleashed its onslaught stands at 31,645 Palestinians. About 70% of the casualties are women and children. The Health Ministry’s numbers are considered a low estimate since they don’t account for the thousands who are missing and presumed to be dead under the rubble.