U.S. approves shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel after pause
Date
7/11/2024 6:00:48 AM
(MENAFN) A US official has confirmed that the Biden administration has lifted a temporary halt on the shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel, which was implemented over two months ago, as reported by CNN. Initially, the decision to suspend shipments of both 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs stemmed from US concerns regarding Israel's use of heavier munitions, particularly the larger 2,000-pound bombs, during military operations in Rafah.
President Biden addressed these concerns in an interview with CNN, expressing regret over civilian casualties in Gaza resulting from the use of 2,000-pound bombs. While the United States did not have reservations about Israel deploying 500-pound bombs in densely populated areas, shipments often included a mix of munitions, leading to the temporary halt affecting both bomb types.
According to a US official, the assembly process of these shipments sometimes results in different munitions being bundled together inadvertently. In this case, although the concern primarily centered on the potential use of 2,000-pound bombs, the 500-pound bombs were also temporarily affected due to their inclusion in the shipments.
The US official clarified that since the primary concern did not pertain to the 500-pound bombs, their shipment has resumed as part of routine procedures. The decision to greenlight the shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, indicating a resolution to the temporary halt amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and humanitarian considerations in the region.
MENAFN11072024000045015682ID1108431211
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.