According to the Washington Post, the White House has given its approval for the shipment of 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs to Israel. Interestingly, this particular arms transfer did not need to be reported to Congress.
According to officials from the Pentagon and State Department who are familiar with the situation, a recent arms shipment worth billions of dollars has been authorized under a law approved in 2009. This comes at a time of tension between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who disagrees with Netanyahu’s plan to launch an offensive in and around the city of Rafah.
Israel has been issuing warnings since February about its plans to deploy troops to the city, which has become a refuge for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who were displaced by the conflict in Gaza.
The international community is deeply concerned about the plan, with the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights warning that such an offensive “would result in a significant loss of life and increase the likelihood of further atrocious crimes.”
Netanyahu reiterated his claims this week, stating that he must achieve total victory. He defines total victory as the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities in Gaza, as well as the release of all Israeli hostages. According to him, the only way to accomplish this is by destroying the militant group’s remaining strongholds in Rafah.
However, despite these concerns, he has continued to supply Israel with additional weaponry. This includes the transfer of MK84 2,000-pound bombs, which have been linked to incidents causing a large number of casualties during Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
The news about the latest arms transfers has caused widespread protests, with various groups expressing their opposition. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, strongly denounced the move.
“The U.S. cannot plead with Netanyahu to cease the bombing of civilians one day, only to then supply him with thousands more 2,000 lb. bombs capable of decimating entire city blocks. This is morally reprehensible,” expressed Sanders during the discussion on X. “We must put an end to our involvement: No more bombs should be provided to Israel.”
According to Sanders, Israel is accused of obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which puts hundreds of thousands of children at risk of starvation. He emphasizes that this action is a violation of American law and calls for an immediate halt to this practice.
