'US Committed To Israel's Defence But...': Biden's Warning To Netanyahu Over Impending Rafah Invasion

US President Joe Biden admitted that the weapons supplied by the United States to Israel has been used to kill civilians in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden has threatened to cut off weapons supply to Israel if it invades Rafah ( Image Source :Getty )

US President Joe Biden for the first time on Wednesday said that he would pause the supply of weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah. 

In an interview with CNN, Biden acknowledged that the arms supplied by the US to Israel has been used to kill civilians in Gaza. 

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” he said. 

“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem,” Biden said.

Biden made the statement after the US suspended a scheduled bomb delivery to Israel amidst apprehensions that Israel was preparing for a ground offensive in Rafah. 

The shipment comprising 1,800 2,000lb (907kg) bombs and 1,700 500lb bombs, was paused due to unresolved worries over the situation in the southernmost city of Gaza. With the population swelling with refugees in Rafah forced to live in tents, the situation is dire in the southernmost city of Gaza with erroneous food, water, and medical supplies. 

While Biden's admission that American bombs have been used to kill civilians in Gaza was a stark recognition of the US role in the war, the President said that they are "not walking away from Israel's security." 

"We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas,” Biden said.

Biden assured that the US would continue to provide defence weapons to Israel, including its Iron Dome but other shipments would end should Israel invade Rafah. 

“We’re going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently,” he said. “But it’s, it’s just wrong. We’re not going to – we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells.”